Breaking Point
by MusesOwnMyMind
Summary: Katarina Mills is like every other person in Storybrooke, held captive by the curse, and unaware of who she used to be; which is exactly how her mother prefers it. But an unlikely kinship with a certain pawn broker, and the arrival of Emma Swan threaten to jeopardize Kat's tenuous relations with her mother; and bring her face to face with a power that she never dared to dream of.
1. Catalyst

_It should not have come as a surprise, she suspected, that the little wench had won out, in the end. With her pretended innocence, and tragic penchant for using her perfection in appearance to her own devices, the reality of the current situation was, unfortunately, unavoidable. Every piece of the plan had been in place. Perfectly so, if she were being honest. And yet, the prince, and his obnoxious little wife had thwarted her once again. The princess was gone; and the curse, while still suitable, would not have quite the effect she had desired since its inception._

 _This was not how everything was supposed to end—_

 _Resisting the urge to hurl the goblet of wine she held against a nearby wall in evidence of her frustration and anger, the woman instead opted for striding across the room, and out onto the balcony beyond; the coolness of the breeze that wafted against her skin hardly doing a thing to assuage her current temperament. Darkened clouds were speeding towards the castle from the east; ahead of a strong wind that already was bending the boughs of the trees in the forest beyond the castle borders. The curse she had so desired was almost in effect. And she knew, above all, that she ought to be happy that her end-game had been achieved; and not bitter that she did not have every last thing that she wanted._

 _After all, she was about to receive her very own happy ending. It was close enough to taste, now; at least in a metaphorical sense. And suddenly, she was unable to avoid the reality that was now laid out so plainly before her. A reality she had hardly dared to dream of, in the midst of the immediate aggravation that had so nearly overwhelmed her at the initial discovery of the partial failure of her plan. She still stood one chance at a happy ending, even with the presumed threat of twenty-eight years being the maximum duration of just such a thing. There was another girl she desired; in addition to the end of the princess. Another girl who was rightfully her own; although a foolish deal had served to part them._

 _With such a thought in mind, she turned away from the balcony, in favor of heading inside once again; her steps taking her towards the staircase, this time, instead of towards the table that housed more wine. She knew what to do now. In truth, she had known it ever since learning of the princess' mysterious disappearance. After all, it was his fault, she believed, that the curse had not worked properly before the princess was even born…_

 _What better vengeance could she exact upon him; save for taking the daughter he loved so dearly for her own?_

…

(Storybrooke, present day)

"Did you read it yet?" Henry piped up; shouldering past Kat as she attempted to navigate through the doorway of her bedroom, and into the hallway beyond, so that he could dart over towards her bed, and flop down on the soft mattress with quite the air of dramatic effect "The book, I mean."

"Not yet, kiddo. I was a bit busy studying last night."

"Studying what? Not those awful old, smelly books of Mister Gold's—"

"I'll have you know, they're very interesting" Kat protested; laughing at Henry's look of abject horror, and abandoning her attempt at exiting her room to move towards the beckoning smell of coffee wafting up to them both from the downstairs kitchen so that she could ruffle his hair affectionately before going on "And besides, shouldn't _you_ be studying, too? I thought you had a science test today."

"It's going to be easy. Like all the other tests in the class" Henry replied; shrugging as though that fact, in and of itself ought to have been apparent already, and squirming a bit on the mattress to make himself more comfortable "I'm basically a genius."

"Oh. Forgive me for doubting your prowess, Einstein" Kat quipped; making a rather exaggerated attempt at a bow, before moving towards the bed with fingers outstretched to tickle at Henry's sides "I must have forgotten you stole all the brains in this family."

"Except I'm not really a part of this family."

"Henry—"

"Well? I'm not" The boy pressed; shifting back just a bit from Kat as she moved to perch on the edge of the bed beside him, and shrugging once again before going on "But you'll never guess what I decided to do!"

"Oh? What's that?" Kat questioned; quirking a brow at Henry, and nudging him in the shoulder as he gave her yet another look that indicated she ought to have caught on to what he was thinking already. In truth, she had already suspected what he was about to say; particularly after having witnessed how determined he appeared to be about getting her to read the book he was so obsessed with. But even with that suspicion, Kat could not entirely suppress the reluctant expression that crossed her features at Henry's eagerly upturned face; the manner in which his eyes were shining their excitement prompting her to chew idly at her lower lip while he elected to fill her in on the apparent genius of his plan.

"I'm going to find my mom, Kat. My _real_ mom. And I want you to help me."

 _Not for the first time, Kat found herself silently cursing the hold Henry's hazel eyes had over her; and the extent of trouble they more often than not got her into as a result of not wanting to see him upset…_

…

 **Well hello there, dearies! And welcome to a rather unexpected new story! I seem to keep finding new shows to watch; and consequently, new story muses to write for. And, as such, I can only hope that my endeavors in that regard are at least somewhat enjoyable; because I certainly seem powerless to stop them!**

 **As I always do with my stories, I absolutely implore everyone that feels so moved to leave at least some manner of feedback on this small initial chapter. I have more ideas to follow, that will of course result in longer chapters; but before I went all out I wanted to post this little guy, and see how well it was received! I truly do appreciate everyone that has taken the time to read this initial posting; and I hope that you all enjoyed what you found!**

 **Before I close, I do have one final question; namely as it pertains to a pairing for Kat, going forward. I've only just started watching the show, so my main leanings are Graham/Huntsman versus August/Pinnochio. So, in opening the floor to you all for voting, I'd also like to say that any other ideas you have are fair game! I would absolutely love to hear them all!**

 **Until next time, then? (I hope!)**

 **MJR**


	2. Scales Tipped

"So let me get this straight" Kat mused; plucking idly at a stray thread that had managed to stick itself to Henry's jacket while she waited with him at the bus stop "You want me to talk Mary Margaret into running interference with me against mom, so that you can go running off to find your birth mother?"

"Yep."

"And what makes you think Mary Margaret will actually go along with this?"

"She likes you. She likes _me_. It'll be easy" Henry stated simply; the grin he directed his companion prompting a resigned snort of amusement, and causing him to manage a light shrug before rocking back on his heels as the bus came into view "Promise me, Kat. Promise me you'll do it!"

"What about when mom finds out what we've been up to, hmm? Have you given any thought to that?"

"I thought you were supposed to be good at talking your way out of things."

"And I thought you were supposed to be unaware of that until you're older" Kat quipped; wincing against the sudden shrill shrieking of the bus' brakes, while simultaneously drawing Henry a bit closer in a one-armed embrace "You're too smart for your own good, kiddo."

"I've heard that a few times—"

"I'm sure you've already heard what I'm going to say next, then?"

"Get on the bus?"

"Yep" Kat confirmed; ruffling Henry's hair and laughing as he squirmed away with a faint groan of embarrassment, before he was turning back to permit her a brief hug "Love you, kiddo."

"Love you too. Promise you'll ask her?"

Shaking her head, Kat nudged Henry gently towards the bus; a faint smile taking over as he persisted in holding her gaze, thus forcing himself to walk backwards until he obtained the answer he so desperately needed.

"Yes. I promise."

"Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart" Kat repeated; performing the gesture to go along with the promise, and laughing in response to the wide grin Henry gave her before finally turning to bound up the steps of the bus while she finished.

"You know me. I never go back on a deal…"

…

"I should have never given him that book" Mary Margaret sighed; plopping down in the cushions of the sofa across from Kat's own place in one of the armchairs in the teacher's lounge, and dragging a hand through dark hair before going on "I thought it would help him; but I never once imagined he'd take it to heart like he has."

"Well he _is_ only ten. I remember what I was like at that age" Kat replied; smiling faintly as her eyes met those of her companion, and she simultaneously reached across the table to place a hand over Mary Margaret's own "But I don't quite see what the book has to do with him getting his mom back."

"That's because you haven't read it yet."

"Okay—so assuming I do read it; what will I find?"

"He thinks everyone here is a fairytale character."

" _What_?"

"It's like I said. I should have never given him that book" Mary Margaret repeated; leaning forward to place her elbows on the table, and using one hand to rest her chin against as she elaborated further "He thinks his birth mother is the only one that can break the curse."

"What curse?" Kat mused; quirking a brow at her companion and only just reigning in her skepticism so that she could give Mary Margaret a chance to explain, without passing judgment "Come on, if you're going to lay that on me, the least you can do is explain—"

"According to the book, the Evil Queen sent all the fairytale creatures to a land with no magic as revenge. And Henry thinks that land is—well—here."

"Storybrooke."

"The one and only" Mary Margaret confirmed; holding out a hand to waylay Kat's impending protest so that she could attempt to elaborate further "He's even gone so far as making up identities for most of us in the town."

"Identities such as?"

"Well for one, he thinks I'm Snow White."

"Snow—Snow White. You're kidding."

"I wish I was. But he seems to believe what he thinks is very much true. And I don't think I need to tell you who he believes your mother to be—"

"Let me guess. The Evil Queen" Kat quipped; fully intending her remark to be taken as a joke, but finding herself forced to pause as Mary Margaret's expression indicated that the truth was anything but a laughing matter "Oh you can't be serious. And you—you've let him believe this?"

"It seems better than the alternative" Mary Margaret replied; pausing just long enough to take a sip of tea from the glass she held before her, and closing her eyes to savor the taste before going on "I don't have it in me to crush his dreams when it seems like this is all that's keeping him going; and I really don't believe you do, either."

Releasing a sigh, Kat simply nodded; resignation very near to overwhelming as she acknowledged, albeit reluctantly, that Mary Margaret was most likely right in her assumption that this was their best option. Henry always had possessed a rather vivid imagination; even when he was much smaller, and knew nothing of the reality of his own adoption. And although she was nothing short of reluctant to encourage him in his current line of thought, Kat knew that shutting him down directly would only increase his desire to press his current course.

For now, at least, it seemed better to simply play along with what he so fervently believed to be true…

With such a thought in mind, Kat moved to stand from the armchair she occupied as the bell rang from out in the hall that signified the time to return to class; her hands shifting to rest within her jacket pockets for a moment while Mary Margaret rose to stand as well, and she finally found it within herself to speak.

"Okay. No dream-crushing. But we will need your help if he's going to find his mom—"

"Oh believe me" Mary Margaret began; smoothing the fabric of her skirt, and offering Kat a smile, before leading the way toward the door that would lead them back to the hallway outside before she finished:

"I'm in. That kid has a way of sticking you with things that make you question your sanity; and I have to say I kind of admire him for it."

…

"You seem a bit—distracted, dearie. Penny for your thoughts?"

"I think we'd both need more than a penny for these thoughts" Kat stated; reaching up to rub her temples with the pads of both forefingers as yet another attempt at focusing on the particular book she had selected for the afternoon's reading failed miserably "And a straight-jacket, probably."

"Questioning your sanity already? That's never a good sign—"

"Neither is thinking that you might actually be believing the imaginings of a ten year old."

"What imaginings might those be, I wonder?" Gold mused; smiling faintly as he maneuvered carefully around one of the glass cases that housed some of the more valuable pawns, and leaning against the table Kat occupied before going on "Come on now, dearie, you can tell me."

"Promise you won't judge?" Kat implored; one brow lifting in silent inquiry while her attention shifted from staring blankly at the book on the table before her to investigating her companion's features more carefully to gauge his response. It was apparent, through her observation, that Gold appeared simply curious, rather than questioning; his brown eyes fixed on her with nothing short of a return of the observation she had directed upon him. And that fact alone seemed enough to prompt a faint sigh of resignation; the fingers of one hand coming up to rake through her hair before she finally spoke again.

"To be fair, the entire thing is Henry's idea. He thinks—well, he thinks we're all fairytale characters."

"Does he really? And who does he believe you and I are?"

"He hasn't actually said. But he seems to think my mom—Regina—is an Evil Queen."

"Ah! Then you must be an evil princess" Gold supplied; chuckling a bit at the scoff and eye-roll that his remark earned him from his younger companion, and shifting slightly in his position leaning against the table before going on "What makes you believe it?"

"I don't know. His—determination?" Kat began; shrugging with half-hearted certainty, and shaking her head in disbelief that she was even having the current conversation to begin "You have to admit, he's stubborn for someone so young."

"Hmm. Sounds like someone else I know."

"I hope you're not referring to me—"

"And what if I am, dearie? What then?" The pawn broker questioned; the amusement that was so apparent in his expression prompting a small smile from his companion in spite of her apparent inner turmoil "Will you grab Henry from school and unite your stubbornness against me?"

"It _is_ a fair idea" Kat replied; laughing openly at the look of feigned offense Gold offered her, and reaching forward to shut the book that had long since been forgotten so that she could place it in the bag she had brought along for carrying it, and some of its kin back home "I think we might stand a fighting chance."

"Do you now?"

"I do" Kat confirmed; lifting a brow at Gold's apparent disbelief, and suppressing a rather amused smile in favor of attempting to continue the apparent game they were engaged in a bit longer "We do happen to have the advantage of youth."

"Now you resort to insulting an old man. Very clever."

"I try."

"Well you may want to try harder, my dear. You're a bit out of practice" Gold suggested; the corner of his mouth twitching a bit as Kat tried, and failed to direct a light swat at his upper arm "A bit slow on the draw, too, by the looks of it."

"Maybe I'm just going easy on you."

Before any manner of reply was possible, however, the faint tinkling sound of the bells attached to the shop's front doors reached them; prompting Kat to stand quickly enough to force her to stumble backwards a bit, and provoking a small chuckle from Gold as he reached a hand out to steady his companion, while the familiar sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor drew near. It did not escape his notice, how Kat had tensed as soon as she recognized the sound; a fact which prompted Gold to keep his hand at her elbow, while the source of the approaching footsteps finally came into view through the back door of the shop—

"Hello, Regina."

"Mister Gold" The mayor returned; sparing only a cursory nod for the man she addressed, before turning to face the girl beside him so that she might speak to her directly "Time to go, Katarina. Or did you forget you're helping make dinner tonight?"

"I didn't forget, Mom—"

"Good. Then we'll leave Mister Gold to his work."

"Maybe we could do something different, for once, and invite _him_ to dinner?" Kat suggested; quirking a brow at how her mother's expression had frozen into something almost resembling abject horror, for a moment, before it rearranged itself into something more neutral while she replied.

"We'll see."

Kat would have been blind, had she missed the scathing look that her mother granted the seemingly mystified pawn broker as she placed a hand upon her arm to guide her from the store, and towards their home…

…

 **Hello again, dearies! And welcome to another new chapter! I have to say, the further I go into the episodes of this show, the more in love I am with everything about it! I guess I can say that's what prompted this chapter; along with the lovely review I received from a guest that prompted some more ideas on pairings (particularly since I am now about halfway through season two, and I think I know who you might have been thinking of…wink wink).**

 **Before I get too carried away, though, I just want to take a moment to thank everyone that gave this little guy a chance, and took the time to favorite, follow, and/or review! I truly do appreciate the support; and I cannot wait to hear what you think of this chapter! Please don't hesitate to leave your thoughts!**

 **More flashbacks to come in the next chapter, to better explain Kat's origins. What can I say—I like to prolong the mystery.**

 **Until next time…**

 **MJR**

 **Oh, and as one last addition, I'm toying with the idea of a Mr. Gold/OC story; but am interested in whether or not such a thing would be well received, and worth the read. I myself am really rooting for Belle and Rumple at this point in the show; but my poor little heart can't help but concoct another idea for him, anyway. I'm anxious to hear if you'd all be interested—because I certainly wouldn't want to go into something that no one would want to read!**


	3. Distant Memory

"What exactly were you doing today, Katarina?"

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ what were you doing in Gold's shop?" Regina pressed; only just repressing the aggravation she felt at her daughter's apparent intent to feign ignorance, and stepping around the island in the kitchen to block Kat's path as she moved to put the mozzarella back inside the refrigerator "What did he have you there for?"

"Nothing. We were just—talking."

"About what?"

"Just—stuff" Kat supplied; averting her eyes, and sidling past her mother so that she could get to the refrigerator and avoid the obvious doubt that she highly suspected would be in her gaze. Something, whether it was instinct or another thing entirely, seemed all but convinced that disclosing the true nature of her discussion with the pawn broker would be a remarkably poor decision; particularly as most of it centered around something that painted Regina Mills in a very dim light. And, with such a thought in mind, Kat heaved a breath as she situated the mozzarella back on its shelf in the refrigerator, and shut the door once again before turning back towards her mother, and meeting her quirked brow head-on.

"Really, mom. It was nothing."

"Well nothing, or something, I'd prefer it if you didn't spend so much time with him."

"And why is that?"

"Because I am your mother, Katarina; and I am trying to keep you safe" Regina stated; grabbing onto Kat's wrist as she attempted to skirt past her for a second time, and tugging gently to persuade her daughter to face her more directly "Please. I need you to trust me on this one, okay?"

"Fine. Will you call me when dinner's out of the oven?"

Nodding, and stepping aside so that Kat could move past her, and out towards the hallway that would lead to the stairs to the second floor, Regina only just resisted the urge to call after the girl before she could disappear entirely; the growing frustration at being unable to maintain the former connection she used to have with the young woman provoking a low groan as she turned away from the direction in which Kat had retreated, in favor of walking to the kitchen once again. For nearly twenty-eight years, the two of them had existed in a sort of tentative truce; always wavering between at least a pseudo-genuine kinship, and a more tense coexistence that had only seemed to mount, as Katarina spent more and more time with Gold in his pawn shop. Of course, Regina knew that neither one of them could possibly have any inclination of what truly existed between them; and consequently kept them apart as well.

Still, that did not prevent her from fighting against outright anger at the thought of losing her oldest to anything outside of her control…

Resolved to fight against that very threat, however, Regina moved back to the island in the kitchen to grab the wine glass she had abandoned in favor of preparing their meal; and closed her eyes as she took a sip in an effort to calm her demeanor. The liquid was cool and crisp, with just a hint of the apple taste she preferred—and, although it did nothing to fully remove her rather sour mood, it at least gave her the smallest sense of reassurance that she _could_ thwart any interference that came their way; no matter how impossible such interference might seem.

After all, her curse had ensured that every single one of them were beholden to _her_ , and her alone; even if they did not know it.

…

Starting at the sound of a knock at her bedroom door, Kat swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and padded across the floor to open it; her eyes going wide in surprise as Henry pushed past her with the book he was so obsessed with clutched tightly to his chest. As they always were, when he was excited about something, his eyes were shining with something that gave Kat a faint sense of apprehension, to say the least. She was well aware of how, once he set his heart to something, it was remarkably difficult to sway him from that intended path. And so, although she really could not find it in herself to believe what he had claimed about the storybook he had become so enamored with, Kat did as best she could to maintain an open mind; one hand reaching out to shut the door to her bedroom with a soft click, before she turned to face Henry so that she could address him directly.

"What is it, kiddo?"

"I found her."

"Your birth mom?"

"Yep" Henry confirmed; grinning from ear to ear, and bouncing slightly on Kat's bed as he opened the front cover of the book, and withdrew a small, rectangular object that had her quirking a brow in suspicion.

"What on earth did you do, Henry?"

"I borrowed Mary Margaret's credit card."

"You _what_?" Kat exclaimed; hurrying over towards where Henry was seated, and taking the proffered rectangle with a sinking feeling brought about when she recognized the name on the card with far too much ease "Henry what on earth were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I need to find my mom. And I did."

"And did Mary Margaret give this to you willingly?" Kat inquired; handing the card back to Henry, and crossing her arms over her chest at how he appeared to squirm under the intensity of her questioning gaze while she answered for him.

"I'll take your silence as a no, then."

"Are you mad?" Henry asked; something in the almost plaintive cast to his words prompting a faint, if not reluctant smile from Kat's lips as she released a sigh, and moved to sit on the bed beside him "Please, Kat, I _had_ to, to find my mom—"

"I'm not mad, kiddo" Kat replied; looping an arm around Henry's slender shoulders, and pulling him in for a one-armed embrace before going on "But you know you've got to give that back. _And_ we'll have to return Mary Margaret's money."

"But how are we going to do that?" Henry began; looking up at Kat, and pulling away just a bit so that he could question her further "You're a grown-up without a job."

"Easy on the insults, kiddo" Kat laughed; removing her hand from Henry's shoulder, and using it to ruffle his hair affectionately before she finished.

"I may be unemployed, but I have a few things that might be worth something if I sell them—"

Though she highly doubted Mary Margaret was the type to expect repayment, considering the reason behind the presumed theft, Kat knew that the schoolteacher might be the only one besides herself that could get through to Henry before his supposed quest fell apart before his eyes…

…

(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)

 _"What is that?" The four-year old inquired; leaning forward on the stool she occupied, and seemingly remaining heedless of the bars that separated her from her companion "In your hand?"_

 _"Which hand, dearie?"_

 _"Your right one."_

 _Lifting the hand in question, and opening the fingers to display nothing but empty air, the prisoner grinned at the answering huff the act provoked in the young girl seated so precariously outside of his cell. Of course, the slight of hand had not fooled her, if the suddenly shrewd gaze she was directing his way were any indication. And, not for the first time, he was forced to admit that the girl was remarkably clever for her mere age of four; the laugh he gave in response to that recognition causing the girl to jump a bit as he finally took the liberty of speaking once again._

 _"Empty space. Nothing more, nothing less."_

 _"Because you switched hands" The girl pressed; chewing on the inside of her cheek for a moment as though locked in some sort of internal struggle, before she released a huff, and pressed her case "You cheated."_

 _"I never cheat, dearie" The prisoner chided; leaning forward himself, and extending his left hand towards the bars until they were just a hairsbreadth away, before he extended his fingers and revealed the object that had been clutched within them "You of all people ought to know that."_

 _"Then why did you change hands?"_

 _"Because I thought it would be amusing, child, why else?"_

 _Pursing her lips, and choosing to remain obstinately silent, instead of giving her companion an answer, the young girl opted instead for leaning forward still further despite the way she was now perched on the mere edge of the stool so that she could get a better look at what was in the man's hand. A delicate golden pendant graced his palm; the center of it glinting a little in the partial light provided by the torches interspersed in even intervals along the corridor behind them. From what little she could see of it, the girl surmised that the gem within the tiny prongs that held it to the gold backing was a sapphire; the dark cast given to the blue stone granting it an almost sinister appearance as bits of torchlight flickered against its surface—an appearance that had a faint smile toying with her lips as she reached one small hand through the bars separating her from her companion, and brushed a delicate finger against the stone in his hand._

 _"It's—beautiful" She gasped; hardly bothering to flinch as the prisoner closed his hand once again around the jewel, and this time included her much smaller hand in the act "Where did you get it?"_

 _"Never you mind that, dearie. What matters is where it's going."_

 _"Where it's—going—"_

 _"Yes, child, where it's going" The prisoner repeated; grinning with apparent humor at her confused expression, and reaching his other hand out to place atop the one that held her own "It can't very well stay hidden away in here with me, now can it?"_

 _With her head tilted to the side, the girl simply gazed steadily at the prisoner, as though waiting for him to opt for being more forthcoming; her wide brown eyes searching his features for something that he was clearly reluctant to give. Unlike so many others, he truly did not frighten her; a fact that was made very apparent by how she crept down the prison stairs every chance she could find to pay him a visit. It was no secret, of course, that he was dangerous; the enchanted nature of the bars between them preventing even his escape, even with what powers he was known to possess. But even that reality did not seem to sway the girl, regardless of the potential peril association with him might give her; her eyes remaining locked with the prisoner's as she quirked a brow and finally managed a question of her own._

 _"Where will it go?"_

 _"With you, dearie" The prisoner replied; releasing the girl's hand, and gently nudging it back through the bars, with the necklace included "I only have one question for you."_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Do you trust me?"_

 _"I—I suppose—" The girl supplied; tilting her head to the side once again as she looked down at the faintly glimmering jewel on its chain that was clasped so tightly in her hand, while the prisoner managed a light chuckle in evidence of his pleasure before he spoke once again._

 _"Good. I need you to wear that at all times, dearie. Never take it off; do you understand?"_

 _"I understand…"_

…...

(Storybrooke, present day)

Pausing just outside the door to the pawn shop, as her fingers once again rose to clasp at the pendant hanging about her neck, Kat sucked in a breath; a sudden bout of nerves clawing at her throat at the thought of giving the thing up. She had worn it ever since she could remember; if for no other reason than to feel whatever closeness she could to a man that she had never even known. Her mother had told her when she was just a teenager that the man who had been her father had been killed in a tragic mining accident before she was even born. But even the regret she felt over parting with the pendant was not enough to completely sway her from doing so anyway; particularly as she knew very well it would earn a sufficient enough price to pay Mary Margaret back for the unknowing use of her credit card.

Of course, it aided her in knowing that she intended to see if she might obtain a job at Granny's the very next day; if for no other reason than to be able to buy the pendant back as soon as she obtained enough money to do so.

Squaring her shoulders as that resolve finally took hold over her apprehension, Kat reached out to place her hand upon the doorknob; only to find herself brought up short as the ringing of her cell phone from where it was located in the back pocket of her jeans. Releasing a sigh, Kat turned from the door of the shop to face the street, while simultaneously digging in the pocket to withdraw the incessantly chirping device; her lips pursing together for a moment as she recognized the name on the caller I.D, and brought the phone up to her ear.

"Mom?"

"Is Henry with you?" Regina's voice came through from the other end of the line; the panic that was so apparent in her tone causing a sudden chill to pass through Kat's frame as she shook her head in spite of the futility of the gesture, and managed a faint reply.

"No—no; what's happened?"

"He's missing, Katarina. Please—I need you to come home."

Though she could not explain it, Kat had a feeling she knew exactly where he had gone—and it was all she could do to tamp down the simultaneous feeling of amusement and frustration at how Henry had obviously chosen to act impatiently, rather than waiting for her to find some excuse for them both to leave together to find his mother; her eyes closing as she exhaled and ran a hand through her hair in an effort at granting herself enough time to clear her focus so that she might reply.

"I'm on my way—"

…

 **Hellooooooooo my dears! And welcome to yet another new chapter! I have to say, I'm not entirely sure where the continuous inspiration for this little guy keeps coming from; since each time I open up the computer, I originally intend to start writing for another one of my stories that I've been neglecting. Oops? What can I say—I'm addicted to the show, and the muses for this story; so I can only hope that you are all enjoying these chapters as much as I am enjoying writing them!**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that have taken the time to read, follow, favorite, and review this story! I truly do appreciate the support; and I cannot wait to hear what you think of this chapter! Special thanks of course goes out to my two guests, and SeraphineWhist for your reviews! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter every bit as much as you enjoyed the last!**

 **Until next time?**

 **MJR**


	4. Search Party

"Do you know where he is?"

"How on earth would I _possibly_ know that?" Kat retorted; dragging a hand through dark hair as she used the other to tug at the loose ponytail that was now all but useless, as tendrils had decided to escape in the strong surges of wind she encountered on the venture home. She could feel her mother's intent gaze, of course, as though it were drilling sharp holes into the back of her head. But in spite of that knowledge, Kat persisted in maintaining her posture so that she faced away from Regina; and only just resisting the urge to permit a scoff to break free as she became aware of how a hand now rested upon her shoulder as a moderately less accusatory voice reached her ears.

"He didn't tell you anything? Anything at all?"

"No. I promise, Mom, he didn't."

Releasing a sigh, and dropping her and from Katarina's shoulder, Regina turned from her daughter to resume the act of pacing the floor of her home office; the suspicion that Kat knew more than she was letting on only rising as she pivoted once again to face her, and caught her in the act of chewing lightly at her lower lip. That had always been her tell, of course; not quite having it in her to master the art of lying as her mother so obviously had. But, in an effort at preventing the tension that had existed between them for what felt like ages, Regina remained silent on the matter of Katarina's apparent withholding of information; instead opting to step back so that her daughter could move past her towards the door that would lead out to the foyer.

"Where are you going?"

"To Granny's, Mom" Kat replied; turning just outside the doorway, and swallowing as she caught sight of the expression that had taken over her mother's features, and did as best she could not to let it sway her decision to leave "If anyone can throw together a means of finding where Henry went, it's Ruby."

"Can you at least promise me one thing, then?"

"What's that?"

"Please—be careful."

Regarding her mother with a look that was nothing short of skeptical, Kat managed a faint nod; one hand simultaneously coming to rest against the frame of the doorway so that she could lean against it for a moment by means of support. Truthfully, saying anything less than that she was worried to death for Henry would have been a lie; even though she knew very well that he was more than able to fend for himself. One of the things that had been a constant similarity between them had been that very fact—self-sufficiency, and perhaps even a foolish knack for acting first, and thinking later, on occasion; and it had served to get them into trouble more often than not. But even that knowledge, and the strong hope that, were he to actually find his birth mother, she would not let him come to harm notwithstanding, Kat could not entirely shake the anxiety that was gnawing at her insides, all the same; her eyes rising to meet her mother's one final time as she cleared her throat and forced herself to speak.

"I will be. Trust me, Mom, I know what I'm doing."

 _After all, it wasn't as if Kat didn't know that a certain Sheriff would be more than ready to lend assistance to her mother while she was away…_

…

"I got your text" Ruby said; stepping aside as Kat took the steps leading up to the entrance of the diner two at a time, and suppressing a half-amused grin at how the familiar stubborn determination had taken over Kat's features as she moved to follow her inside "You think he actually left Storybrooke?"

"I know he did. He went to find his birth mother."

"Really?"

"Really" Kat confirmed; stepping towards the long table that was situated just outside the kitchen, and leaning against one of the chairs that was kept beside it for patrons to sit upon before redirecting her attention towards her companion once again "I just—don't know where she is."

"He didn't tell you?"

"No. He didn't."

Frowning, Ruby perched on the seat beside Kat, all the while dutifully ignoring the pointed glare Granny was sending her at the apparent shirking of her job responsibilities in favor of focusing on the matter at hand. With one elbow on the table, she reached across to get them both a glass; a slight laugh escaping her as she took in the raised brow Kat had directed her way. Undeterred, though, Ruby persisted in placing the glasses between them, so that she might reach for the bottle of rum that was tucked underneath the overhang that the table provided over the bar; the fingers of one hand swiftly uncapping the bottle so that she could pour some of its contents into the two glasses she had nabbed not moments prior.

"Well then—maybe this will help."

"Rum?" Kat questioned; shaking her head in surprise, and leaning back in the chair she occupied while she watched her companion at work "Forgive me, but how is that going to solve the problem?"

"If nothing else, it'll loosen you up just enough to really think about where Henry might be" Ruby replied; nudging one of the glasses towards her companion, and managing a faint, if not encouraging grin for Kat's benefit before she lifted her own glass to her lips to take a small sip, while Kat reluctantly moved to do the same. It was apparent by the wince that crossed her features, that the amber liquid was not entirely what Kat was accustomed to. But in spite of that, Ruby did not miss her apparent relaxation after the first sip had passed her lips; the rigid line of her shoulders relaxing just a touch as she leaned forward in the chair she occupied, and placed the glass temporarily back on the counter before her while she spoke.

"Okay, fine. Have you got a computer I could borrow?"

"Sure. But why on earth will that help?"

"Because" Kat pressed; her fingers toying idly with the rim of the glass she was so intent upon, while some sort of baser determination simultaneously endeavored to come up with a plan "The fact that Henry didn't tell me where his birth mom is living doesn't rule out the possibility of retracing his steps to find her ourselves."

Years of being shielded from the world by her mother had given her more than enough time to gain a suitable proficiency with computers…

…

To say that the entire day had gone abysmally in light of Henry's disappearance, and Katarina's persistent evasion of the truth would have been a lie. That was the thought that came, first and foremost to Regina's mind as she paced the floor of her office for what felt like the thousandth time; hardly aware of how her companion had been relentlessly eyeing her the entire time. Ordinarily, of course, such a reality would have been pleasing; her particular hold over the Sheriff giving her more leave for pleasure than many of her other relations with the rest of the town. Now, however, his observance of her movements about the room was a nuisance, if nothing else; her gaze finally turning to him, albeit reluctantly, as she bit out the words that were proof only of her worry and frustration over Henry.

"Did you come to help me, Sheriff, or to stare at me while I do all the work myself?"

"Madame Mayor—"

"You know what—don't bother" Regina hissed; whirling away from the man who had taken a tentative step towards her, and once again resuming her pacing before going on "You can't fix what I'm dealing with anyway."

"I can help find your boy" Graham said; maintaining a careful distance from the obviously aggravated woman he shared the office with, and yet still holding out a hand as though wishing to pull her to him in spite of her apparent fury "Regina, you just have to stop raving enough to let me _help_ you."

"Can you stop everything from falling apart before my eyes?"

"Nothing is falling apart. We're going to get him back; you have to believe that—"

"If you really believe that, then I was right. You can't help me at all."

Turning away yet again, before she could catch sight of what could only be pity in Graham's grey eyes, Regina strode over to the desk at the center of her office; her hands haphazardly shoving at the scattered papers as though hoping to unearth some as yet unfound clue that would lead to Henry's current location. Not for the first time, she silently cursed the part of herself that had succumbed to giving up her powers of magic in favor of ruining the lives of those that had so often thwarted her plans in the life she had forced them all to abandon—particularly as a locator spell would have been more than useful, given the circumstances. But as such a means of finding Henry's birth mother were currently unavailable to her, Regina was forced to do nothing more than release a frustrated sigh; her shoulders slumping in light of her rather discouraged demeanor before she risked open speech once again.

"If you stay up here much longer, your colleagues downstairs will start to wonder what it is we're doing—"

Regina was not in the mood for idle dalliances; and she absolutely refused to let the Sheriff see her façade fall as she came to terms with the reality of the individual that was about to return to their lives, and tear everything she had worked so hard for apart at the seams.

…

"And there it is."

"You've found something?" Ruby inquired; excitement coloring her tone as she abandoned the pitcher of coffee she had been about to carry over to a table of patrons, in favor of moving to stand slightly to the left of Kat's shoulder to read what was on the screen of the laptop before her "Did you find where he's gone?"

"I—I think so" Kat replied; withdrawing her thumbnail from between her teeth, and straightening slightly in the chair she occupied before going on "Everything points to his birth mother being in Boston."

"Boston? As in Massachusetts?"

"Unless there's another Boston lying around the continental U.S., yeah."

"So what do we do?"

"We?"

"Well you can't just go off on your own to Boston, can you?" Ruby mused; stepping around the counter while Kat took the liberty of shutting the laptop, and leaning across the space between them with the majority of her weight resting upon her elbows "I want to help."

"You want to go with me to Boston?"

"Why not?"

"Because, Ruby. We don't even know that he's really there" Kat countered; aware even then, that her words hardly held the necessary certainty behind them to persuade her companion to let up in her own determination. Of course some small part of her could not precisely complain at the prospect of companionship; particularly as the thought of actually leaving Storybrooke had filled her with a sudden and unexpected nervousness. It was something she had always yearned to do, although she had never quite gathered up the gumption to do it alone. But now that she was confronted with the actual idea of the thing, trepidation had become near to paralyzing; forcing her to shake her head once in denial of her companion's apparently pleading expression, while one hand shot up to waylay Ruby's impending protest of the gesture before she could be persuaded to change her mind.

"It's not that I don't want the company. But this—finding Henry—I think it's something I ought to do alone."

"I see" Ruby stated; her displeasure quite apparent in spite of her attempt to hide it behind a quick smile as she straightened from her position leaning over the table, and reached for the computer Kat had opted for handing her "Then I can do my best to keep Regina off your tail."

"Actually, I—I wondered if you might do something else for me" Kat suggested; the fingers of one hand instinctively reaching up to brush against the pendant that hung around her neck, before she set about the task of unclasping it, and placing it upon her palm to glance at it in full while her companion took the liberty of answering her request.

"Of course. What is it?"

"I was wondering if you could take this to Mister Gold for me. Tell him the money goes to Mary Margaret; and he'll go along with it well enough."

"You're sure?"

"I am" Kat confirmed; smiling faintly as she handed over the pendant, and tried as best she could to ignore the slight pang that stabbed at her heart upon parting with the thing in favor of finishing her attempt at instruction.

"And if you could ask Granny if she wanted to take on an additional employee; that would be wonderful. I don't expect to be able to live in peace at home once Mom finds out I've gone after Henry."

"I'm not entirely certain a new job is a proper birthday gift, Kat" Ruby protested; laughing in spite of her apparent confusion over her companion's request, and inclining a brow at Kat's resultant attempt at feigning a scowl before going on "You don't turn thirty-two every day, you know."

"Tell you what, then" Kat began; shaking her head once again at her companion's apparent amusement, and trying to avoid sparing too long a glance at the chain of the pendant that dangled from Ruby's hand.

"Hold off on making a big deal over my birthday until we get Henry back. That'll be present enough."

…

 **Hello again, my dears! And welcome to another new chapter! I have to say, with each new episode I watch, I end up with more and more in the way of ideas. So I truly do hope that you all don't mind the continuous updates—because I don't see them ending any time soon! Of course I'm sure this chapter has you questioning some things; particularly as they pertain to Kat's aging, when no one else is, and her apparent trust in Gold. I do promise to reveal those answers in time! And I hope that you like the explanations when they arrive!**

 **As always, heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that have taken the time to read, follow, favorite and review this story thus far! I truly do appreciate everyone's support; and I absolutely cannot wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter! Special thanks to my three guests, and RavenDeathGirl0909 for your reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter every bit as much as you enjoyed the last!**

 **Until next time…**

 **MJR**


	5. In Pursuit

The soft tinkling of the bell above the pawn shop's door had Ruby tensing for a moment; apprehension over spending any amount of time with the man who owned the property for the moment outweighing the desire to help her friend. She had never understood Kat's peculiar closeness with the man that made owning nearly every aspect of their small town such a strict and unyielding venture—particularly as the man himself had never shown any particular sort of kindness and genuine interest in any given person in the town's populace, save for Kat herself. But regardless of that reality, and the trepidation it filled her with, Ruby forced herself to step through the door and shut it behind her with one last tinkle of the bell above it; one last exhalation serving as all the preparation she had before a familiar voice reached her ears, and caused her to straighten slightly as a show of stubborn pride, if nothing else.

"If you're not here to pay the rent, I'm afraid I'm a bit busy, dearie—"

"I actually had a favor to ask of you" Ruby persisted; ignoring the skeptically quirked brow that Gold offered her, in favor of stepping further into the shop, and reaching into the pocket of her jeans to withdraw what Kat had entrusted her with before going on "From a mutual friend."

"And just who might this friend be?"

"I believe you already know."

"Ah. Miss Mills" Gold stated; shifting slightly in his stance behind one of the glass countertops, and regarding the young woman before him with a hint of renewed curiosity, before his attention shifted to the pendant dangling from her extended hand "Did she give you that?"

"In a manner of speaking" Ruby replied; withdrawing the hand that held Kat's pendant just a bit, and regarding her companion with no small amount of trepidation as she pressed on "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I was under the impression she loved that necklace you're holding too much to just give it away."

"Circumstances change."

"So she needs the money, then" Gold mused; unable to completely mask the surprise at the unexpected realization, but managing a step forward towards his unexpected companion, regardless "Whatever for?"

"To pay off a friend."

"Something tells me if this person were truly a friend, they would not expect payment."

"I don't think they really do" Ruby admitted; managing a shrug to hopefully succeed in waylaying Gold's apparent skepticism, and reluctantly handing over the pendant as he extended a hand towards it "But Kat won't hear of accepting anything freely."

"How characteristic of her" Gold murmured; smiling faintly at the characteristic stubbornness of his frequent companion in the shop, and suppressing a light chuckle as he instead turned his attention back towards his newest charge "Who does she feel she owes?"

"Mary Margaret."

"And what on earth does she owe her for? Baking a dozen cookies?"

Quirking a brow at the man's apparent attempt at a jest, Ruby eyed the pendant he held so loosely in his grasp; noting with no small degree of surprise that he appeared to look upon it with almost as much intrigue as its former owner. It seemed almost as though he held it with a certain care that she had never seen him hold before over anything else he touched. But of course, Ruby knew that to be ridiculous. Impossible, even.

Of all the people in Storybrooke, Mister Gold was about the least likely to care for anything except his own success and material possession.

Regardless of that knowledge, however, Ruby found it surprisingly more difficult than she would have liked to admit to remain silent regarding the true reason for Kat sending her to the shop to start with; some silent part of her half-heartedly cursing her friend for putting her in such a position before she gathered her thoughts enough to permit herself to speak.

"She owes her for inadvertently giving Henry the means to find his birth mother."

"So the boy has taken on his foster sister's knack for rushing into things" Gold stated; closing his fingers more securely around the pendant, and turning to head back towards the countertop upon which rested one of the artifacts he had been perusing prior to Ruby's arrival "I must say I am not that surprised. But how exactly do the two of them plan to find this woman?"

"I—I don't know. But Henry's already left."

"Alone?"

"Not for long" Ruby amended; following behind Gold at a few paces, and watching carefully as he set the pendant on the glass before meeting her gaze head on "Kat went after him. She wanted you to give whatever money would come from that pendant to Mary Margaret as a thank you."

"Of course she did."

"You—you don't seem so surprised."

"That would be because I'm not, dearie" Gold replied; turning from his investigation of the necklace placed beside him, and reaching below the countertop to obtain a box to keep it in "You may go now."

"Don't you—don't you want to know where they might have gone?" Ruby inquired; tucking a stray dark curl behind her ear, and doing her best to avoid flinching at the expression that crossed Gold's features in response to her question. It was apparent that she had pushed him a bit too far; though if she were being honest, she was not entirely inclined to care. Gold was far from her favorite person; and she highly doubted that she was among the list of his—

Of course that fact alone should have meant that his ensuing reply did not come as a surprise at all.

"I'm afraid I already know the answer to that question. And you don't need to be around to tell me something I am already aware of."

"You'll give the money from the necklace to Mary Margaret?" Ruby insisted; holding her ground in spite of the almost quelling look that Gold sent her way as a result of her question, before he released a reluctant, if not exasperated sigh, and consented to give her a meager reply.

"Of course I will; I'm no thief. Now run along and get back to your work, dearie. And leave me to see to mine."

…

For what felt like the thousandth time, Kat ignored the rather insistent buzzing of her cell phone coming from where it rested in one of the cup holders housed in the car console; knowing without even risking a glance in its direction that it was her mother that was calling. She had known, almost from the start, that it would not take much before her absence was noted; particularly as she had given the false promise that she would return home straightaway after visiting Granny's that afternoon. But even that knowledge was not enough to entirely overwhelm her with guilt at the thought of the lie she had told so that she could find a means of going after Henry herself; one hand reaching out to switch the phone to silent as she persisted in driving towards the town line.

She knew only too well that if she answered the call, her mother would find some way to get her to turn back…

Turning from the smaller side street that lined up with the driveway of her home, and onto the main road that led through the center of town, Kat slowed a bit to account for the occasional stray pedestrian; the grip her fingers held against the steering wheel tightening just a bit as she sent a silent prayer heavenward to avoid notice by anyone that might attempt to stop her. Of course, she had no intention of letting any that intercepted her succeed in their goal; regardless of whoever it was that might try to prevent that goal from being achieved. But even that knowledge was not quite enough to stall the apprehension that she would, in fact, be discovered; the sigh that left her in response nothing short of frustrated as she shook herself back into awareness just in time to discover that she had already passed the final building separating Storybrooke from the expanse of forest that led towards the town line.

Just a bit longer, and she would be free…

With such a thought in mind, Kat permitted herself to press down on the accelerator just a bit, while simultaneously tightening the hold of her fingers around the steering wheel; her shoulders tensing as the town line drew nearer. To the best of her knowledge, no one else had ever dreamed of leaving Storybrooke, save for Henry himself. And although she knew that it was ridiculous, Kat was unable to entirely shake the idea that perhaps there may have been a reason for that reality—a reason that she, willing or no, was about to discover for herself.

As if that particular line of thought had served as a catalyst, Kat found herself gasping as the car she drove gave a sudden shudder; her gaze flicking down to the dashboard for a moment, before another unexpected lurch forced her to redirect her attention to the road. She could feel the tremors taking hold of the vehicle through the connection of her hands with the steering wheel; a sensation that had a pit of nausea igniting all too easily against the sudden panic that had taken tenuous root in her abdomen. It was as though something had taken over control of the car, in spite of her efforts to maintain such a thing for herself. And even with the fervent desire she held to ignore such a superstitious notion, Kat was unable to fully succeed; particularly as the car seemed to wrench itself in a haphazard path towards the side of the road, and the forest beyond without regard to her desire in the matter.

In spite of her attempts to press down against the brake pedal with all she had, though, Kat found that the vehicle seemed entirely unwilling to stop; the way in which it continued to speed towards the edge of the forest lining the road provoking a rather belated gasp to pass her lips, while the reality of impending collision drew near, and she became aware of the fact that all that was left for her to do was brace herself for what was about to come…

…

 _(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)_

 _"What on earth do you want, dearie? I've already given you everything."_

 _"Not yet, you haven't" Regina quipped; flicking the fingers of one hand idly against a speck of dust that had fallen against her shoulder, before fixing the prisoner in the cell with a look that would have silenced anyone else in seconds "I saw what you gave Katarina."_

 _"A trinket. It is nothing."_

 _"We both know that it is much more than nothing" The Evil Queen persisted; using both hands to smooth the skirts of her dark gown, and glancing towards the small window that was situated at the topmost corner of the cell she visited before choosing to elaborate "You wouldn't have given it to her otherwise."_

 _"Indeed."_

 _"You intend to feign innocence, then. Not your best move, Rumple."_

 _"And yet here I am, doing exactly that, dearie—"_

 _"Then you are more of a fool than I ever wanted to believe" Regina spat; whirling to face the prisoner where he perched idly on one of the sparse benches in the cell in which he had been confined "Or have you forgotten what it is that I hold over you?"_

 _"You will never use it."_

 _Gritting her teeth over how easily the man's sing-song words grated upon her nerves, Regina turned from him to begin the act of pacing the stone floor; the heels she wore clicking idly against it, and echoing against the walls that surrounded them while she moved. Some small part of her knew that the man was right—that she did not have it in her to snuff out the little life she had taken custody of; even though the girl was as yet nothing more than a means to an end. She was an innocent; caught up in the greater events of the world simply by association with a parent that she had never been given the chance to choose._

 _Even so, it would not have been like Regina to admit that to anyone; least of all the power-hungry imp of a man that she now held in thrall…_

 _"You seem rather sure of yourself, for a man who was foolish enough to fall into Cinderella's trap."_

 _"You've always wanted a child, dearie. I think we both know you would never do away with what may be your only chance of having one."_

 _"How dare you" Regina hissed; once again whirling to face the prisoner, and leveling a glower at him that would have been enough to turn him to a pile of ash, had that been her desire "You do not tell me what I will or will not do."_

 _"But I've told you nothing. I am simply making suppositions."_

 _"Suppositions that are entirely out of your control."_

 _"If you truly believed that, you would not be so angry, my dear" The prisoner mused; the chuckle that left him nothing less than haunting to his companion as she watched him stand and move towards the bars separating them with the first hints of reluctant trepidation "Whether you like it or not, I know enough about you to realize that."_

 _"So you think."_

 _"So I know, dearie."_

 _"What you don't know" Regina began; the fingers of one hand curling into a fist as a half-hearted means of controlling her frustration, before she spoke again in a slightly more restrained tone "Is that you are about to lose everything."_

 _"Explain."_

 _"Oh I won't need to" The Queen replied; a small grin turning the corners of her mouth up as she had the satisfaction of catching the merest flicker of surprise in her companion's features, before it was skillfully masked, and she opted for turning from him to take up the act of pretending to investigate the small trickle of water that had trickled down the stone wall beside her "By the end of it all, you will be the one that pushes every last thing you love away."_

 _"Except for her—"_

 _"But that's where you're wrong, Rumple" Regina returned; stepping back just a touch as her companion's fingers latched onto the bars separating them, and the metal jarred just a bit with the impact of his anger._

 _"When the curse takes hold, your daughter won't even remember your name."_

…

(Storybrooke, present day)

"I'm sorry, she did _what_?" Regina hissed; pushing past a startled nurse, and following in the wake of Doctor Whale as he maneuvered down the hallway that would lead to the Emergency Department, and she was forced to hurry to keep up "That doesn't make any sense."

"Well, Madame Mayor, it's what happened. I'm not sure there's any other way of explaining it" Whale persisted; dragging a hand through close-cropped blonde hair, and sliding past an orderly that was headed the opposite way with dirtied bed linens "She crashed the car just before reaching the town line. From anyone's point of view, that means she tried to leave."

"Damn it."

"It's hardly anything to be surprised about, I don't think. She's young. She _should_ want to explore somewhere other than the same old town she grew up in."

"And what would you know about it? Are you a parent?" The mayor retorted; hardly noticing the unabashed self-assurance that in the doctor's expression as he turned slightly to look back at her upon hearing her harsh words, and instead moving around him so that he was forced to face her more directly "You don't get to tell me what is _normal_ for my daughter."

"Then will you at least let me take you to her? Or is that too far beyond my scope as well?"

Rolling her eyes, Regina waved a hand as a means of giving consent; once again taking up the act of following behind Whale as he stepped around a corner and moved a thin curtain aside to reveal Kat's location in one of the treatment bays. From where she stood, glancing at the bed her daughter occupied, Regina could not help but feel a slight abating of her anger at not only Kat's actions, but her own that had landed them both here to begin with; particularly as it was not uncommon knowledge that the two of them had not exactly been close over the past few months. But even that awareness was not enough to waylay her from moving towards her daughter's sleeping frame, regardless; a light sigh escaping as she instinctively reached for the hand that was not wrapped in bandages, and took in the extent of the apparent injuries.

A scratch just above the line of her brow had been stitched up, it appeared; and there was a line of brownish-purple bruising extending from the right side of her jaw, until about midway down the skin of her neck. The hand that Regina was not clasping as lightly as possible so as to avoid waking her was wrapped in thick bandages; and she could see the faintest hints of more of the same peeking out from underneath the portion of the hospital gown that covered Kat's shoulder. For a moment, after such a realization, the anger she had initially felt over her daughter's foolish attempt at departure resumed; threatening to overwhelm what maternal instinct might name relief with its potency. But almost as soon as that anger made itself known, Regina forced herself to tamp it down; her eyes lingering on Kat's pale features for a moment, before she turned her attention towards the doctor standing across from her.

"How bad is it?"

"Not nearly as bad as it looks" Whale replied; pursing his lips together for a moment, and glancing down at his patient in order to give a more organized assessment of the damages endured "A bit of glass off the windshield nicked her forehead, as you can see; but we stitched that up pretty easily. As for the hand and shoulder, both are just a bit banged up from the air bag; but the swelling should subside fairly easily. All that remains—"

" _All_ that remains?" Regina cut in; raising a brow, and abandoning the hold she had on Kat's hand in favor of using both of her own to grip the railing of the bed before her "What else is there?"

"A few bruised ribs, Madame Mayor. But other than being sore for a few weeks, I can promise you Katarina will be perfectly fine."

"And I assume you would like nothing more than the liberty to take care of her yourself for those weeks?" The mayor mused; chuckling a bit in light of the momentarily startled expression that had taken over the doctor's features, before shifting slightly in her stance leaning against the railing of the bed, and watching as he finally gained the wherewithal to shake his head in a half-hearted attempt at denial.

"Don't play the fool with me, Whale; I know you have a penchant for pretty young women."

"She is a patient, Madame Mayor—"

"And she is also my daughter. You would do well to remember that; or your comfy little job at this hospital may not remain so."

"Madame Mayor—" Whale began; swallowing almost convulsively at the quelling look that Regina had given him, and trailing off entirely as she moved around the bed her daughter dozed in to stand before him with a threat burning evident in her eyes.

"Thank you for your attentiveness, Doctor Whale" She stated; the hard edge to her words brooking no room for argument as she simultaneously positioned herself between the doctor and her daughter before she finished.

"I'll take it from here."

…

 **Hello again, my dears! And welcome to another new chapter! I have to confess, I'm a bit disappointed in myself this time around, because I meant to have several chapters posted while I was on vacation from work this week; and yet this is the only one to come up thus far. Oops? I guess I got caught up in reading, and doing some major cleaning on the home front…but that fact notwithstanding, I'm back; and hoping, as ever, that you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks goes out to each and every one of you that have read, followed, and favorited this story so far! I'm hoping that the lack of reviews on last chapter (a big fat goose egg, lol) didn't mean that it was awful—and I implore everyone, like I always do, for feedback on this update! I'm definitely not going to go the route of withholding chapters for reviews; so don't fear that—but I have to confess I adore reading the notifications that come to my inbox; so I beg you if you have a thought please do feel free to share it! I promise, I don't bite!**

 **Until next time?**

 **MJR**

 **Ps—special thanks to SeraphineWhist for taking the time to share a PM discussing story ideas! I promise I'll reply to that message tomorrow morning (as I'm a bit sleepy now, and want to make sure I do the PM justice); but I wanted to give a shout-out anyway for your time and willingness to chat! I truly do appreciate it!**


	6. Shifting Bond

**Hello, all! As a small tidbit of information before we get into the chapter properly, I thought it would behoove me to give a better idea of what Kat looks like as an adult. I can't help but feel that Caitriona Balfe is a lovely representation; though I would change her eye color to brown for Kat herself. Hopefully that helps in visualizing appearances, and such; and I cannot wait to hear what everyone thinks of the selection!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **…**

 _(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)_

 _"You little rat! You told her!"_

 _"Told her what, dearie?" The prisoner inquired; pretending to pick at a stray piece of thread from the fabric of his shirt, instead of glancing at his latest visitor directly "You'll have to be more specific if you want an answer from me."_

 _"You know exactly what you told her" Regina hissed; grasping rather tightly at the bars that separated her from the man she wished to accuse, and pressing as closely as she dared even as he rose to stand "She was never to know."_

 _"She knows a great many things, Your Majesty. She's quite the clever girl."_

 _"And I presume you wish to take credit for that cleverness yourself?"_

 _"Whatever do you mean?"_

 _Narrowing her eyes at the malevolent little imp, the Queen pushed away from the bars of his cell in favor of getting some distance between them in order to better see his reaction to her accusation. She would have been blind to miss the slight shift in his demeanor, from simple bored amusement, to something a bit stronger as a result of her continued persistence in questioning him; though it would have been a lie to say that such a shift had not given her exactly what she wanted. And, although she was nothing short of enraged that his own actions had created a complication she had never wanted to encounter, Regina forced all thought of that aside in favor of using the change in her companion's behavior to her advantage; her next words barbed, to say the least._

 _"I mean that you would wish to take credit for her gifts, Rumple. Surely you can't have been daft enough to miss them?"_

 _"Deranged, maybe, but never daft" The imp retorted; bitterness, and something darker lacing his words as he took his own turn to clasp his fingers about the bars between them, and wide, almost reptilian eyes fixed themselves upon their target "What gifts?"_

 _"I don't think you have earned the right to know—"_

 _"What. Gifts" The prisoner repeated; rattling the bars a bit with the force of his sudden anger, and growling low in his throat at the high laugh the Queen gave him in return "What have you done to her?"_

 _"What have I done? The better question to ask is what you have done" Regina returned; the smirk that adorned her features in that moment arising more out of a grim satisfaction over the impending reaction that her words would have on her companion than out of any real pleasure from the reality they presented to her, personally "You're the Dark One, Rumple. You have power that mere mortals can never comprehend; and you fathered a child."_

 _"What does that have to do with the little girl you've stolen from me?"_

 _"It has everything to do with her" The Queen hissed; slamming a hand on the bars just above where the little imp's own fingers were curled around them, and ignoring how the act had prompted him to bare his teeth at her in response as she finished._

 _"Her power has only just manifested itself; and if she does not learn to control it, it will destroy her from the inside out."_

…

(Storybrooke, present day)

Squinting against the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights that broke into her field of vision, Kat was unable to completely restrain the short groan that left her as her eyes watered and she was forced to shut them again; the slight pull in her muscles as she attempted to stretch them causing her to relinquish the act almost as soon as it had begun. Even the smallest of movements seemed to provoke a twinge of pain; coupled with the unfamiliar sensation of bandaging pulling against tender skin. And that feeling in and of itself was enough to have her forcing her eyes open in spite of the glare of the lights; one brow lifting as she caught sight of the bandaging covering the majority of her hand.

"Does it hurt very much?"

Startled by the unexpected inquiry, Kat turned almost immediately to face the source of the sound; her brow furrowing as the act brought on another twinge of nagging pain. It was as though every last muscle of her body were attached to a wire; holding at its opposite end a thousand sharp needles, poised and ready to puncture a nerve at the slightest movement. And, although that realization was daunting, to say the least, Kat forced her attention once again towards the individual that had spoken; her shock unmistakable as she blinked once as though doubting her own vision, and opted for finally making a reply.

"Only when I move—" She admitted; placing the hand that was not covered in a bandage palm-flat at her side to attempt sitting up, in spite of the wince that took over her features as a result. Of course, it surprised her that the individual that shared the hospital room with her was not her mother, or even Henry; but Mister Gold—but somehow, even in the face of that surprise, Kat was not entirely capable of demonstrating it outwardly; her expression instead entirely preoccupied with another grimace as the slight movement afforded by her sitting upright caused one of the IVs to tug at her skin "Other than that, I think I'm fine."

"That is good to hear—all things considered, you could have fared worse, dearie."

"If faring worse would mean being unconscious until it didn't hurt to breathe, I might just take it."

Watching as Gold leaned forward with both hands resting upon the top of the cane that was his near to constant companion, Kat managed a weak smile as she caught on to how he had given her the benefit of a faint chuckle at her remark. It was not lost on her that he rarely did such things; the show of amusement or even simple enjoyment of someone's presence other than his own something that was, at least at the outset, reserved for a rare few, herself included. Although Kat was not aware in the slightest of exactly why that was, of course, she was not entirely foolish enough to question it aloud—and in light of that very realization, she pursed her lips for a moment in silent thought; her brow furrowing as she once again glanced towards her companion before speaking.

"Why _are_ you here? If—if you don't mind me asking, that is—"

"Not at all" Gold replied; managing a faint smile in response to some private amusement at Kat's remark, and lifting a brow in an attempt at feigning innocent curiosity before going on "I thought you might be interested to know that your young friend returned home, safe and sound, last night."

"Henry's back?" Kat exclaimed; sitting bolt upright without fully considering the consequences, and wincing once again as a muted cry of shocked pain escaped before she could stop it. Almost as soon as she had done so, she became aware of the light pressure of a hand against her shoulder; the sensation of being gently pushed back so that she once again reclined against the pillows at her back causing her to crack one eye open, and come face to face with the expression of slight concern that had taken over Gold's features as she forced out the rest of her reply in spite of the pain that was currently zinging through every nerve ending she possessed "I—did he find his mother?"

"Emma Swan? Yes, as a matter of fact, he did."

"And is she here, as well?"

"She is. And Regina isn't entirely pleased by the notion" The pawn broker remarked; maintaining his hold upon Kat's shoulder for a moment, until he had satisfied himself that she would no longer insist upon moving "Though I doubt that surprises you."

"Not particularly. But it seems to please _you_ " Kat mused; not failing to notice the poorly disguised amusement that was so apparent in her companion's features, and opting for pursuing the cause of that amusement on her own "You don't like her, do you? My mother, I mean."

"The Mayor is not one of my favorite people, no. But then I gather she is not always yours, either, is she dearie?"

Frowning at the acuity of his statement, Kat simply managed a shrug; the fingers of the hand that was not wrapped in a bandage shifting to pick at a stray thread on the hospital blanket that covered her at least in part from the slight chill in the room. Of course, she knew he was right. Even on the best of days, her relationship with her mother was strained, to say the least. But still, even with that knowledge, something instinctive was not entirely able to permit her to agree to Gold's assertion; the sigh that left her nothing short of resigned as she pursed her lips for a moment, before choosing to reply.

"She's—our relationship is—complicated."

"That, my dear, is the understatement of the century."

Unable to resist the amusement brought about by the statement, and its implications, Kat let out a faint laugh; only to find herself stopping rather abruptly as the act brought about yet another spasm of throbbing, emanating from her stomach, and spreading throughout her rib cage like wildfire. This time, though, before Gold could make any attempt at providing assistance, Kat opted for simply holding out a slightly trembling hand to waylay him; her lips curving into a half-hearted attempt at a smile before she finally managed to speak.

"Don't make me laugh. It—it hurts too much."

"My apologies, Katarina. It won't happen again."

Grinning at the apparent attempt at appearing contrite, Kat quirked a brow at Gold in response to his manner of apology; noting how for a moment, something entirely unmistakable had passed across his features, before the normal, guarded mask was once again in place. At first, it almost seemed as though there was something else he wished to say—something that needed to be brought to light; though it may not be in the best interest of either one of them. But almost as soon as the suspicion came into her mind, Kat found that it was just as quickly departing; her attention once again distracted as she heard the familiar sounds of heels clicking against the linoleum of the flooring in her room.

"Gold. What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"Visiting a friend, Regina. Is that a crime, now?"

"Hardly; although I would hazard a guess that there are other, more pressing matters that you should be attending to—" Regina quipped; noting the way Gold seemed content to simply return his attention to her daughter in order to share a rather skeptical glance, and exhaling as slowly as she could in an attempt at avoiding a subsequent rise in her aggravation before going on "And Katarina hardly needs a babysitter."

So that she would not succumb to the short laugh that wanted so badly to break free in response to the irony of such a statement, and risk inciting further pain from her injuries, Kat curled the fingers of the hand that was not securely wrapped in bandages in towards her palm until her fingernails scraped against her skin; her attention shifting from Gold himself, to the blankets covering her legs as she carefully avoided meeting her mother's gaze. She knew, of course, that her companion was every bit as amused by the Mayor's statement as she was; particularly as she had not missed the soft exhalation of belated amusement that had escaped him even as she had turned her own gaze away. It would have been foolish to pretend that, by her presence alone, Regina did not believe the exact opposite of that which she had claimed; the only time that she had been absent from Kat's bedside aside from the most recent interlude with Gold being that expanse of time when she had been at home awaiting Henry's return the previous evening. But even with that ideation in mind, Kat could hardly find it within herself to voice her opinion; her own exhaustion getting in the way yet again as she tried, and failed to completely stifle a yawn.

"What she _needs_ is some rest."

"Mom, really, I'm fine—"

"Nonsense, you're exhausted" Regina persisted; the look she sent her daughter enough to force silence, even as her attention turned once again to the man that had just deigned to stand from the chair he occupied so that he was more on a level with her own stance "And you—I'd like a word outside, if you don't mind."

"I don't suppose I have a choice?"

"No" The Mayor replied; glaring at the man's rather resigned remark, and sparing one final glance towards Katarina to ensure she was settling back on the bed to rest before she finished.

"You really don't."

…

"So, Madam Mayor" Gold began; planting his cane firmly before him, and leaning rather heavily against it as he fixed the woman before him with what passed as a barely masked disdain "What is it that you wanted to speak with me about?"

"What are you doing with my daughter?"

"Does a man need an excuse to visit a friend, now?"

"When that friend is my daughter, and that man is you, yes."

Chuckling at the poorly masked venom in the Mayor's words, Gold shifted his weight to rest mostly upon the uninjured leg; his gaze never wavering from Regina's own features as he did so. He knew her game, now. He had known it ever since a chance encounter with Emma Swan the previous evening. As soon as he learned the name of the new arrival, it had all come rushing back—the memories—the losses—the daughter that was not even Regina's to begin with—

And yet, the foolish woman still had enough nerve to claim Kat as her own…

In spite of the ire that such a thought provoked, however, the pawn broker was determined to conceal the knowledge he now possessed for as long as possible; his expression remaining rather stubbornly neutral as he shifted once again, and offered a rather half-hearted smile for the woman before him as he spoke.

"My my, Regina, where _are_ your manners?"

"My _manners_ " The Mayor scoffed; casting a rather cold glance towards one of the nurses that had passed by a little too closely for her liking, and crossing both arms over her chest while she fixed her glance once again upon the man before her "You are hardly one to talk about manners, Gold."

"Oh am I? Explain."

"I don't have to explain anything to you!"

"And yet I know you want to" Gold countered; regarding Regina with no short supply of amusement as her expression soured almost immediately, and she was forced to restrain her anger in light of the approach of Doctor Whale, and one of the usual pretty blondes that were typically in his entourage "I think we both know you enjoy the sound of your own voice too much to remain silent on the matter, dearie."

Before Regina had the opportunity to bite back her reply, she found that her attention was rather conveniently distracted by the doctor's appearance; her posture straightening as she caught the apparent smug satisfaction that was practically emanating from Gold, and she did all she could to resist the comment that rose to mind as a result. Somehow, she knew it would do very little good to continue baiting the man; even in spite of how something in his remarks had given her the faintest hints that perhaps all was not as it seemed. And with such a thought in mind, she forced her attention to divert itself away from the troublesome pawn broker, and instead directed it towards Whale instead; her expression an equal mix of exasperation and impatience while he spoke.

"I have some good news, Mayor Mills. Katarina is ready to go home—"

 _Good…the sooner she was able to get her daughter away from Gold, the better…_

…

 _(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)_

 _"What's that? Around your neck?" A small, red-headed boy inquired; plopping down on the lichen covered log beside the young girl that sat apart from the rest of the children that were playing freely in the village square. By the looks of it, he appeared to be somewhat older than the rest of them, though not by much; his height granting him an advantage in that when he sat beside her, her head was still only on a level with his shoulder. Blue eyes regarded her with none of the fear that was so prevalent in the eyes of the other children; a fact that had the girl turning a curious gaze of her own upon him in return. And although she had been given strict instruction to refuse to speak to anyone, while her mother attended to some sort of business in a local tavern, Katarina found herself entirely unable to resist giving the boy the answer he seemed to desire; her fingers reaching up to graze against the pendant that dangled from her neck while she spoke._

 _"A present."_

 _"From who?"_

 _"A—a friend" Katarina replied; hesitant to fully disclose the identity of the previous owner of her pendant, as the mere mention of his name more often than not provoked even more fear and trepidation than that of her own mother "A friend gave it to me just a few days ago."_

 _"What's his name?"_

 _"How do you know it's a him?"_

 _"Because my Papa says only men give women pretty things" The boy replied; the sureness he had over his own reply rather apparent, even in spite of the small snort such an answer had earned him from his companion "What? It's true!"_

 _"No it's not—"_

 _"It is so! My Papa wouldn't lie. Let me see—"_

 _"No!" Katarina squeaked; wrenching away from the boy, and turning to face with her back towards him, and her small hand firmly clutched around the pendant "It's mine!"_

 _"I don't want to take it. I just want to look."_

 _"Well you can't."_

 _"Why not?" The boy persisted; stepping around so that he could stand directly before his companion, and smirking slightly at the exasperated huff she gave as a result of his persistence "My eyes can't hurt it."_

 _"But it's mine. It's all I have" Katarina protested; regarding the older boy with something not entirely unlike skepticism, and hunching her shoulders as though by doing so she could protect her treasure from his sight "It's—it's all I have."_

 _"No it's not. You're a princess. You have everything."_

 _"I don't have a Papa."_

 _"Everyone has a Papa" The boy protested; crossing both arms over his chest in open denial of the girl's claim, and ignoring her sudden downcast expression in favor of pressing on "Everyone that ever existed."_

 _"I don't. Not anymore."_

 _"Why not?"_

 _"Because he's locked away" Katarina replied; frowning and dropping her hand away from the pendant almost absently as she cast her eyes about her to ensure that the Queen was not within earshot "He's locked away and my mother told me I can never see him again."_

 _"The Queen locked him away?"_

 _"No. Cinderella, Snow White, and Prince Charming did."_

 _"Why?" The boy inquired; catching the way the girl seemed to withdraw still further, as her hands moved to tug the cloak she wore around her shoulders tighter about her small frame "Why did they lock him away?"_

 _"Because he isn't good" The girl informed; standing herself, and stepping back from the boy that had been so determined to harangue her, while simultaneously extending a hand as sparks seemed to emanate from her palm, until they turned into an open flame—_

 _"He isn't good, and neither am I."_

…

 **Well hello there, my dearies, and welcome to another new chapter! I have to apologize for the little delay in posting; as I was temporarily at a loss for exactly how to set this chapter up. I seem to have figured that out, now; and hopefully the slightly longer chapter makes up for how long it took to get it posted! Needless to say, I wanted to create a bit more of a back story to the events that went on immediately prior to the Dark Curse as they pertain to Regina, Rumple, and Kat; before diving back into the first season proper, and Emma's arrival. I promise, Kat will meet Emma soon; and I'm not trying to drag everything out so much that it's unreasonable. I just couldn't help but try and add a bit more flesh, as it were, to the Enchanted Forest scenes when Kat was still little; and that took up most of the space in this chapter that could have been otherwise dedicated.**

 **In any case though, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as you have the ones preceding it; particularly as I have no intention of abandoning this story! As always, I thank each and every one of you that has taken the time to read this story thus far; and especially those who have given it a follow, favorite, or review (that means you, my two guests, SeraphineWhist, Arkytior's Song, and ALotOfNerdyThings)! I truly do appreciate the support; and I cannot wait to hear what you all think of this chapter!**

 **Until next time…**

 **MJR**


	7. Fracture Begins

_(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)_

 _"Just what do you think you're doing?"_

 _Whirling to face her mother, Katarina hastily shoved both hands behind her back; the flame that had kindled against her palm dying out almost as quickly as it had come. The anger in the Queen's eyes was scathing; its effect forcing the girl to take a hesitant step back, only to find herself jumping as her back bumped against the boy she had been trying so valiantly to deter. Surprisingly enough, instead of bolting at the sight of her mother, the boy opted instead for shifting to stand before her; his advantage in height forcing Katarina to stare directly at the space between his shoulder blades in muted surprise while he spoke._

 _"She isn't doing anything—"_

 _"Oh really? Well luckily, I wasn't asking her the question" The Queen sneered; stooping down to have a better chance of looking at the boy that had placed himself between her, and her daughter, and lifting a brow in silent question before going on "And you would be wise if you addressed me properly."_

 _"Yes, Your Majesty" The boy replied; his posture never wavering even in light of how the Queen held no qualms over stooping still closer, and cocking her head to the side in open curiosity over his stubbornness. Where before, she had been accustomed to people withdrawing from her, regardless of age, this particular boy seemed completely unabashed by the barely laced venom in her words; his wide blue eyes meeting her own dark brown ones with unrestrained curiosity as she spoke._

 _"Now—answer my question" She repeated; noting how Katarina had started to peek around the boy's shoulders, her own eyes wide in her otherwise pale face. For all intents and purposes, it appeared as though she were more frightened of the current confrontation than its true object; the way she seemed almost instinctively to shrink back in light of the brief glance her mother spared her belying her apprehension even in spite of her attempt to hide it. In truth, the constant struggle to maintain her power, while simultaneously hiding the majority of that reality from the little girl she had taken for her own was trying; now, more so than ever. Already, the girl had spent far too much time with the prisoner that she, personally, felt would be better off removed from their world entirely—and, loathe to risk losing the girl through any act of her own, Regina did what she could to soften her appearance; her stance relaxing just a bit as she took a breath and spoke again._

 _"What do you think you're doing with my daughter?"_

 _Before the little boy could reply, however, a rustling sounded from behind him, followed by the thumping of hurried footsteps; the appearance of an older man quite out of breath from running startling both Kat, and her erstwhile companion as his own lower baritone broke the sudden silence shock had caused to arise between them._

 _"Pinnochio! My boy, there you are!" He exclaimed; removing the slight brown cap that adorned graying hair, and holding it lightly between weathered hands as he simultaneously addressed the Queen "Your Majesty—my boy, he wasn't causing you trouble?"_

 _"That depends on his answer" The Queen replied; once again redirecting her attention to the boy she had been so intent upon so that she might repeat her question again "What—were you doing with my daughter?"_

 _"Talking, Your Majesty, that's all. I promise!"_

 _"Why don't I believe you—"_

 _"It's true, Mama" Katarina chimed in; shouldering past the boy—Pinnochio—and sparing a glance up towards him just in time to catch his faint smile before she went on "It's true; please don't hurt him."_

 _"What makes you think I'm going to hurt him, dear?" Regina inquired; reaching for Katarina's hand, and smiling as gently as she could manage when she became aware that her daughter did not intend to recoil, but instead took the proffered hand with her own, smaller one and stepped closer to her mother's side before replying in a hesitant tone._

 _"You look angry. You hurt people when you're angry."_

 _Brows furrowing at the eerie perceptiveness in the young girl's claim, the Queen squeezed gently at the tiny hand that was encased in her own; her eyes meeting Katarina's for a moment, and taking in the slight hesitation in their gaze while she spoke as a hopeful means of encouragement._

 _"I'm not going to hurt anyone, Katarina" She promised; pulling the girl closer towards her, and releasing her hand so that she might instead slip an arm about her slender shoulders "I only want to protect you."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because" Regina began; pulling the girl towards her still more securely, and placing the other hand upon her shoulder before glancing back at the boy and his father as they made to walk away._

 _"I love you, Katarina. And I will never let anything, or anyone take you from me; no matter the cost."_

...

(Storybrooke, present day)

"I'm fine, Mom, I promise" Kat groused; ducking away from Regina's attempt at propping yet another pillow behind her back on the sofa, and frowning as the act caused a dull throb to take root in her muscles. Prior to discharge from the hospital, Dr. Whale had given her a temporary prescription for painkillers, as well as something to help her sleep; the former having done a great deal of good in easing the majority of the pain from her accident, even in spite of her initial skepticism over their use. And although she had flatly refused use of the sleeping pills in addition, Kat found that sleep was, in fact, the greatest priority on her mind in that moment; the near constant fussing that her mother was making over her arrangements on the sofa standing in the way of that goal in spades.

"And what kind of mother would I be if I took you at your word?" Regina replied; holding the pillow out rather insistently, and allowing the beginnings of a smile to toy with the corner of her mouth as she watched her daughter resign herself to the assistance that had been rendered "I want to take care of you, Kat. I always have."

"I—I know. But I really am fine—just tired."

"Then I will let you rest. But before I do, I have to ask you something; and I want you to be honest with me, Katarina."

"Okay—" Kat assented; hesitation apparent in her tone as she shifted slightly against the pillows at her back, and tugged the blanket that normally rested, neatly folded, on the back of the sofa up to rest more securely around her torso "What do you want to know?"

"Before you crashed the car—did you see anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"I believe you know very well what I mean" Regina pressed; unable to entirely keep the bite from her tone as she noted that Kat had lifted a brow in mock innocence, and folded both arms across her chest, over the blanket "Was there anything in the vicinity that might have caused the accident?"

"No. Not that I can recall" Katarina replied; brow furrowing a bit as she tried to recall back to the moments just prior to when everything had faded to black "Why?"

"There were no obstructions? Nothing that blocked the road?"

"No. It—it was just as if the car stopped of its own accord. Which is of course, ridiculous" Kat amended; lifting a hand to tug through slightly tousled brown hair, and frowning a bit as she took care to glance at her mother's reception of her answer "Honestly, Mom, I don't really know what caused it."

"Interesting" Regina mused; watching Katarina's expression carefully for a moment, and deciding that she was, in fact, being honest about what had happened just before the accident that had landed her in the hospital "Well regardless of the cause, I'm glad you're alright."

"But—you have business to attend to; and I'm on my own for a bit."

A sigh of resignation escaped Regina as she took in the curious lack of emotion behind Katarina's response; even in spite of the truth that rang in her words. More often than not, her own dalliances had pulled her away from both of her children; though even with how she hated time spent apart from them, she could not entirely find it within herself to regret them—

Or at least, she couldn't when those dalliances involved the Sherriff…

With such a thought in mind, Regina squared her shoulders and turned towards the mirror situated on the wall to apply a rather brilliant red lipstick; and yet she still did not miss the way her daughter appeared to be rather actively avoiding paying too much attention to anything that she did as though her life depended on it. As it had so many times before, Katarina's obvious uncertainty around her proved nothing short of frustrating; the hasty way in which she turned from the mirror once again after having applied her lipstick, and directing her gaze to her daughter once again before she spoke.

"I could stay with you, if you'd prefer."

"No. No, Mom, that won't be necessary" Katarina replied; doing what little she could to temper the rejection that was so apparent in her words with a softer tone, and finally meeting her mother's gaze with her own before going on "I'm planning on doing more sleeping than anything else, anyway, so I doubt I'd be very good company."

"You're sure?"

"I am."

Nodding once, and resisting the urge to frown, Regina turned from her daughter after a brief moment spent in uncertainty over whether or not to press the matter; a flash of irritation washing over her as she was forced, once again, to confront the reality that was presented before her. Already, her hold on both Katarina and Henry had been tenuous, to say the least; particularly as they had both grown older, and become more confident in their own opinions. Katarina, in particular, had been rather determined to go her own way at times; without heed or care to Regina's wishes in the matter at all—and although she would have liked nothing more than to remain with her daughter, she chose instead to move towards the doorway leading from the living room into the foyer beyond; seeking the light jacket she had chosen for the day's outing and the black pumps that coordinated so well with her pants suit before she spoke.

"Henry should be back from school at four; and I've left money on the counter for the two of you to order a pizza—"

"Thanks, Mom. Really" Kat called from the living room; leaning back against the pillow behind her back, and closing her eyes as she exhaled slowly in an attempt at relaxation "I promise, between Henry and I, we'll make it work. We'll be fine."

"You'll make sure he does his homework?"

"Of course."

Satisfied that order would be maintained in her absence after such a reassurance, Regina resolved to continue towards the door, rather than succumbing to the nagging sense of guilt that nearly overcame her at the thought of leaving both of her children in search of her own pursuits. The two of them were perhaps the only thing she truly cared for; everything else surrounding the life that the Dark Curse had given her paling by comparison to the reality of being a mother. In spite of the sometimes difficult relationship that she held with both of her children, however, some small part of her remained poignantly aware of how her current dealings with the Sherriff threatened to tear it all apart—particularly upon consideration of the impact such a revelation might have upon her eldest. And although the intent of the Curse had been to secure her own happiness, no matter the cost, Regina knew well that she would do anything to maintain the hold over Katarina's trust and affection.

Already, the presence of Henry's birth mother, along with Katarina's own kinship with a man that had more devilry to his name than he had any right to were a threat; and she would be damned if she lost either one of the things that had given her life meaning after so much time spent in emptiness.

…

Sometime later, the sound of a slamming door jolted Kat out of her momentary nap, and forced her to straighten from her position reclining upon the sofa; a belated wince spreading across her features as footsteps thudding down the hall reached her ears, and gave way to Henry bounding into the room with a smile that could have powered an entire city's electrical grid.

"Kat! You're home!"

"Yeah, I am, kiddo—" Kat replied; quirking a brow at how Henry almost immediately dropped his backpack on the floor beside her, and plopped down in the empty space beside her "How was school?"

"It was okay. Miss Blanchard had us finish the rest of our bird houses; and we ended up with an extra math assignment after she got called out of the classroom."

"Mary Margaret got called out of the classroom?"

"Yeah" Henry confirmed; squirming slightly to grant himself a more comfortable position on the sofa, and reaching down for the strap of his backpack so that he could tug it up to place upon his lap "I guess Mom decided to swing by the school before picking you up from the hospital."

"So she must have found out about the credit card" Kat mused; sighing, and massaging her temple for a moment while both eyes slipped closed in mute resignation "Crap."

"I talked to her after class. She said she wasn't mad—"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't still feel bad that Mom called her out on it."

"Maybe—maybe she'll change her mind" Henry suggested; his tone, and the obvious reluctance behind it giving Kat the impression that the 'she' he referred to was their mother, and not the schoolteacher they had both inadvertently dragged into the line of fire with them "Maybe, once she gets used to Emma, it'll get better."

"You really think that'll happen?" Kat questioned; skepticism heavy in the question, even as Henry rummaged in his backpack, and withdrew the book that had started this entire endeavor in the first place "Because, from where I'm standing, to our Mom—Emma's a threat."

"That's why I want you to meet her."

"I—what?"

"I want you to meet her" Henry repeated; shifting once again so that he faced Kat more directly, and handing the book to her, while she in turn took it rather hesitantly "I want you to meet my mom; but before you do, I think you need to do something for me first."

"And what might that be?" Kat inquired; laughing a bit as the fingers of one hand idly roamed over the cover of the book, and her attention was distracted for a moment by the lettering sprawled upon it, while Henry took the opportunity of her silence to press his advantage.

"I want you to read this. If you're gonna help me get Emma to believe, you need to, too."

…

 **Hello there, dears! And welcome, once again, to another new chapter! I have to say, this one turned out as a bit more of a filler, and shorter than I had originally planned; but I hope that it didn't end up too boring as a result. I wanted to create a means for Kat to familiarize herself with the book as well, before introducing her to Emma and starting the main part of the action in the first season. So I hope that what I've done makes sense; and that even though it isn't a very heart-hammering chapter, it is still at least somewhat enjoyable!**

 **As always, huge thanks go out to all of my readers, followers, favorites, and reviewers! I can't believe how much support this story has received since its inception; and I am beyond grateful that everyone has been so kind throughout! Special thanks, of course, goes out to my dear guest, SeraphineWhist, and ZabuzasGirl for taking the time to review! I truly do appreciate the support; and I cannot wait to hear what everyone thinks of this chapter! Don't hesitate to keep those thoughts coming, if you wish!**

 **Until next time?**

 **MJR**


	8. Landslide

"Well? Did you read it?" Henry chirped; bouncing on the edge of his seat, while Kat maneuvered as carefully as she could around the kitchen in her attempt at fixing them both some dinner. Yet again, Regina had been kept late at the office; the phone call informing them of such a thing having come just one hour prior to Kat's apparently foolhardy desire to try and cook something herself. Where normally she found such a task simple, to the utmost degree, now in light of her recent injuries, it was a bit less so—a fact that had her wincing a bit as a reflexive nudge of the drawer that housed the silverware with her hip to shut it once more caused a spasm of pain to knife through her side, and she was forced to set the selected cutlery down on the counter before her to gather her thoughts.

"I did. And I have to say, kiddo, it's not exactly the sort of material that's easy to believe."

"Probably because you didn't take the time to look at the pictures."

Laughing at the slight furrow that had taken root between Henry's eyebrows in response to his apparent consternation over her disbelief, Kat shook her head in amusement and resignation; her attention once again turning towards the task of pulling apart the pork roast she had just removed from the oven with two forks, before adding the barbeque and brown sugar to the mix. It came as no surprise to her, of course, that her companion had opted for being so persistent; particularly as she knew that, were the situation reversed, she might have done exactly the same. But even with that knowledge, Kat could not entirely bring herself to ignore the nagging doubt she had regarding the wisdom of continuing to semi-encourage Henry in his beliefs; her lips turning down just a bit as she paused in the act of preparing the pork, and took a moment to think.

She _had_ looked at the pictures—every last one of them; and it had not escaped her notice that they bore a remarkable resemblance to the inhabitants of the town she lived in. In truth, to say that it was anything less than haunting would have been remarkably foolish; particularly as she had, at least for a moment, actually given credence to Henry's theory, insane as it may have seemed. At the present, her mind was rather more than a little awash in circumstance; both possible and impossible alike. And, not for the first time, Kat found herself abandoning the forks she held in favor of running a hand across her face; the sigh that left her nothing short of audible, before she finally spoke.

"I did, Henry. But—"

"But you still don't believe it."

"I don't know _what_ to believe" Kat interjected; reaching across the counter to place her hand atop Henry's own as she caught his nearly dejected expression, and almost immediately sought to reassure him that her own doubt was not in any way a means of casting suspicion on him directly "But believe me, Henry, I—I _am_ trying."

"I know. I just wish it wasn't so hard to convince everyone" Henry admitted; frowning a bit, and keeping his attention fixed upon where Kat's hand held his own, as he heaved a sigh, before going on "You think you're bad, just wait until you meet my mom."

"I can only imagine."

"I think you're gonna like her though" Henry persisted; his frown abandoned in favor of a rather enthusiastic grin as he tugged his hand away in favor of using it to snag a piece of the pork that rested, temporarily abandoned, in the bowl "She's a lot like you."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Kat inquired; swatting playfully at Henry's hand as he tried to swipe away another piece of pork, and returning to the act of preparing it so that they could both assuage their hunger "I hope you aren't already turning to insulting us both at the same time."

"What are you gonna do if I am?"

Abandoning a reply in favor of something more direct, Kat abandoned her attempt at meal preparation in favor of moving around the counter just as Henry caught her intentions and dodged away before she could catch him. Slowed by her recent injuries, but not quite willing to let them win out in her attempt at ensuring Henry was at least slightly less troubled by their own individual circumstances, she persisted in following his laughter into the den; and found him already ensconced on the sofa, with remote in hand.

"You'll hurry up with finishing that pork, so that we can watch a movie before dinner."

Lifting a brow, and laughing faintly at the familiar expression of unerring certainty that had passed over Henry's features as he watched her standing in the doorway to the den, Kat shook her head in resigned amusement; one hand rising to a mock salute, and provoking an answering laugh from her companion while she made a tentative step backwards, and began the trek back to the kitchen.

"Aye aye, Captain."

…

"Cinderella? You're kidding" Kat dead-panned; lifting a brow and shifting as gently as she could in the seat she occupied so that she could face Henry more directly, and holding back a wince as the attempt at movement brought about a faint throbbing in her torso "And here, I thought you'd want to watch something a bit more rough and tumble."

"Maybe I'm trying to prove a point" Henry quipped; returning Kat's look with one of unswerving determination, before he redirected his attention to the television, just as the opening theme began to play "Besides, I'm not stupid—I know this one is one of your favorites."

"Okay" Kat consented; drawing out the word just a bit as her skepticism once again made itself known, and extending an arm along the back of the sofa as silent invitation for Henry to sit closer to her "And how is this supposed to help me believe your theory about the curse?"

"You need to know about all the stories as they are, first. Then the book might make more sense."

"Really? That's what you're going with?"

"Yep" Henry replied; grinning again, and happily sidling over towards Kat so that he could lean against her side, while the hand that had draped itself along the back of the sofa moved down to ruffle his dark hair "And I know it'll work."

"Oh do you?"

"I do."

"You seem awfully confident" Kat mused; dropping her hand back to the edge of the sofa, and holding in a wince as Henry's weight, miniscule as it was, shifted against her side and nudged at healing ribs while he spoke.

"I know you'll believe me, Kat. You _and_ Emma. You have to."

Against her better judgment, Kat could not help but notice the unusual weight that Henry had given his final words, before he settled in more completely to watching the movie he had selected; and she was left to shift her own attention between both a silent contemplation of his words, and at least a partial interest in the film showing on the screen. The interpretation of his tone of voice could not have been any clearer; even in spite of how he should not have been able to imply such direness at the mere age of ten. And, although that knowledge was almost enough to have Kat dismissing what Henry had said entirely, she still could not completely shake the apprehension that had stolen over her in response to his words; a sigh leaving her as she settled back against the cushions of the sofa, and did as best she could to turn her attention to the movie playing out on screen.

She could not possibly be entertaining the idea that the fate of the town she lived in depended on both herself, and a woman she did not even know. She just couldn't…

…

To say that anything less than the sight that greeted Regina's eyes upon her return home from yet another monotonous day at the office had caused her heart to lurch rather uncomfortably within her chest would have been a lie…

Rooted to the spot as she was, in her shock, Regina watched as unobtrusively as she could from her position in the doorway; her eyes fixed on the rather cozy position that her children currently occupied on the sofa. Katarina was situated against the arm of the furniture; one hand dangling idly from it, while the other rested limply upon Henry's shoulder. Henry, himself, had chosen to rest his head upon Kat's shoulder, it seemed; their obvious companionship sparking a pang of envy as she was once again brought face to face with how they appeared to lack the same inclination to form such a bond with her.

All she had wanted was a family…

Shaking herself before such a thought could consume her entirely, and choosing to break the comfortable silence in the room as a means of distracting her own thoughts, Regina stepped forward with the audible click of a heel on wood paneled flooring; the sound of her throat clearing as she attempted to announce her presence causing the two inhabitants of the den to jump belatedly, while she spoke.

"Henry, have you finished your homework already?"

"Um—"

"I wanted him to help with dinner, Mom" Kat interjected rather hastily; one finger pressing the 'mute' button on the remote beside her leg, before she shifted just a bit so that she could look at her mother more directly "All of the prep-work was still a bit much, given the circumstances."

"And have you taken your pain medication like Doctor Whale told you?" Regina pressed; lifting a perfectly arched brow in open skepticism, even in spite of how Katarina barely even flinched in response to the faint acidity in her tone. Try though she might to avoid it, Regina was unable to completely avoid such an event; the flash of jealousy that had washed over her in response to the sight of her children in such close connection, to the almost complete exclusion of herself prompting the fingers of one hand to curl themselves into a fist as she inhaled sharply through her nose, and tried to settle her temper. More than anything, she was aware that harsh action would only serve to alienate Katarina from her still further; and likely in consequence, do the same with Henry as well. And, in an effort to avoid just that, Regina opted for squaring her shoulders, and moving a bit further inside the room; her expression resettling itself into something a bit less antagonistic before she spoke once again.

"I'm sorry. It's been a—a long day."

"Evidently so" Katarina remarked; forcing a smile in an effort at tempering her own reply, and dropping her hand from Henry's shoulder just as the sound of the kitchen timer's buzzing reached her ears "That'll be the pork—"

"I'll get it" Henry offered; seemingly eager to corroborate Katarina's excuse for his neglected homework, and giving credence to that very fact by standing and hurrying off to attend the kitchen timer, and the meal as well. In so doing, he had rather successfully left Regina alone with her daughter; a state of being which she could hardly find undesirable, as she had rather hoped to put to rest the apparent distance that had risen up between them. She needed to get the girl—no, the young _woman_ , she corrected herself—back on her side; particularly with the new arrival in her town presenting such a threat. And, with such a goal in mind, Regina maneuvered her way around the edge of the sofa in order to perch on the edge opposite where Katarina was seated; her hands coming to rest, palms flat upon her lap for a moment, while she drew a breath, and considered her next words with due care.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better" Kat replied; shifting just a bit on the sofa so that she faced Regina torso to torso, and leveling a cautious gaze her way, before answering further "And to answer your question, no, I've been trying to avoid the pain meds as a general rule."

"And I have the audacity to question why people suggest your stubbornness is a mirror of my own" Regina suggested; laughing faintly as the statement earned her a more genuine smile from the young woman seated across from her on the sofa, and leaning back into a more relaxed position in return "I suppose I shouldn't do that."

"Maybe not."

"Regardless, Katarina, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"You want me to watch out for Henry; since Emma is sticking around."

Frowning at Katarina's ever-present ability to see through her outward attempts at tranquility, and get right to the marrow of what she desired, Regina heaved yet another sigh; her hands smoothing idly over the skirt that rested atop her thighs for a moment, before she nodded in confirmation of her daughter's suspicion.

"I don't trust her. You shouldn't, either."

"Mom—"

"I mean it, Katarina" Regina insisted; her tone hardening just a bit as she fought against the aggravation that wanted so badly to take hold in the face of her daughter's impending protest "Whatever your feelings are for me, I know you wouldn't want Henry to get hurt."

Satisfied that the slight widening of Katarina's brown eyes indicated that she had caught the veiled implication in her words, Regina managed a fleeting acknowledgement of her victory; the soft smile that tugged at the corners of her lips provoking a lifted brow from Katarina herself. It did not take much to discern that the young woman was still suspicious; though more so of Regina's own intentions, than Emma Swan's. But even in spite of that knowledge, the Mayor refrained from commenting on the matter; instead choosing to stand as Henry reappeared in the doorway leading from the kitchen, and gave her leave to change the topic of their conversation entirely.

"Why don't we get to dinner—and then, maybe afterwards you and I can both make sure Henry, here, gets his homework done."

Above all else, order _must_ be obtained; no matter the cost…

…

 _(Enchanted Forest, thirty-two years ago)_

 _"Your Majesty?"_

 _"Yes?" Regina spat; whirling from one of the many mirrors in the room she occupied, and leveling a scathing glance towards the guard who had disturbed her solitude "What do you want?"_

 _"The—the prisoner" He stammered; clearly wishing he were anywhere else than in this room, informing the Queen of what had just recently transpired " She—she has given birth to a baby girl."_

 _Surprised, to say the least, at the information that had been revealed, the Queen spent a moment in stunned silence; having expected more of the same idiocy that usually came along with such intrusions. Always, her sentries seemed more than willing to break into her own internal musings; likely as not granting her useless information, that she more often than not already knew of. But this intrusion, it seemed, was meant to be different. Better._

 _This—this was exactly what she wanted to hear…_

 _"Take me to her" The Queen ordered; abandoning the pretense of annoyed ire in favor of moving purposefully towards the doorway through which the sentry had just entered "Now."_

 _Eager to appease his Queen, in order to avoid a reincarnation of her earlier wrath, the sentry scurried to get ahead of her for the purpose of escorting her to the cell where the aforementioned prisoner resided; the click of his companion's heels on the stone floor beneath them signifying her close approach. In truth, he was nothing short of fearful over the Queen's interest in the woman, and the child she bore; his heart pounding out an erratic staccato of beats beneath the weight of the armor he wore. Given her reaction to the prisoner, in general, and how that reaction rose in direct contrast to her current mood at the prospect of the newborn child, it was apparent that something more sinister was afoot; though the sentry was loathe to admit that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. He had sworn an oath to the Queen; but that oath could be hanged once she stooped to murdering babies._

 _Of course, the moment he set his mind upon denial of her wishes, and consequently rebellion as well, he could consider his poor life to be at an end…_

 _Shaking himself before such a line of thinking could make itself apparent upon his features, the sentry turned down one of the many narrow passageways the castle had to offer; a few more steps serving as all it took to get them both to their desired destination. Even from outside the locked and bolted door, the sentry could hear murmured words; and the occasional answering coo of what could only be a newborn baby. And, although he knew that he would have loved nothing more than to give in to the desire to turn and bold, the sentry resisted; instead extending a hand to unlock the door, and standing aside to permit the Queen to pass._

 _"A baby girl—how lovely" Regina cooed; the utter falseness of her tone obvious to anyone's ears, even if they did not possess the knowledge of her true purpose as she stepped still closer to the object of her desire, and the woman holding the tiny bundle shrank back on instinct "She has her father's eyes, I see—"_

 _"Get away!"_

 _"Oh, but don't you see? I can't get away" Regina pressed; stooping down to get a closer look at the little one in her would be victim's arms "You've just given me exactly what I wanted."_

 _"I haven't—I won't be giving you anything" The prisoner spat; vibrant blue eyes sparking with the intensity of maternal anger, while she clutched the squirming infant still closer to her breast "She's all I have."_

 _"Ah but that is exactly why I need her. You see, she's all I have, too."_

 _Utterly taken aback by such a statement, the prisoner drew back still further until her back bumped against the stone of the cell's wall; the small shock of the impact provoking a small cry from the bundle that was wrapped in her arms. The sound prompted the prisoner to glance down towards the little one; strands of dark brown hair falling over shoulders that were hunched over in what could only be described as a protective gesture. It was apparent that she valued the tiny bundle in her arms enough to risk her own person against a Queen whose power was both well-known, and abundantly feared._

 _But even that sort of bravery would never be enough to prevent Regina from getting what she wanted..._

 _"She is nothing to you" The woman persisted; leveling a defiant gaze towards the Queen, and squaring her shoulders while her grip simultaneously tightened on the child in her arms "Why do you need her at all?"_

 _"Because she can give me everything I've always wanted" Regina replied; a sinister smile spreading across her features as she raised a hand, and with a single twitch of the fingers, placed an invisible stranglehold on her adversary's throat. Blue eyes widened in shock, while the sounds of a slow asphyxiation filled the room; and brought forth a low chuckle from the Queen's throat—and then it was only too easy for her to snatch the blanket-clad bundle from the woman's arms, her voice raising to be heard over the sound of the infant's renewed squalling as she finished._

 _"She will give me the family I never had—and the power to take down the one that stands between me, and the power that is rightfully my own."_

 _With such words hanging in the air between them, the Queen, and the child she now held disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke; leaving the sentry, and the prisoner behind, along with the sounds of the heartbroken sobs of a mother that had just lost her child…_

…

 **Hello there, my dearies! And welcome (finally!) to another new chapter! I can't believe it has taken me this long to update; and for that delay, I am sincerely sorry! I promise, I haven't abandoned this story; because I keep coming up with new ideas for future chapters—and I thank each and every one of you that has stayed with me throughout the sporadic updates! I know it can be frustrating; and I appreciate everyone's patience more than I can say!**

 **As always, many thanks go out to everyone that has taken the time to read, follow, favorite and review so far (and special thanks to AliceTheCactus, ZabuzasGirl, my three guests, CrystalVixen93, and JustPassingThrough)! I truly do appreciate the support; and I cannot wait to hear what you all think of this chapter!**

 **Until next time…**

 **MJR**

 **PS—To the guest that was wondering how Kat was able to age when the rest of the town hasn't, that will be explored in further detail later on! I don't want to spoil it for everyone by putting the complete answer here; but if you'd like you can PM me and I will be happy to explain that way!**


	9. Forward Motion

_(Enchanted Forest, thirty-two years ago)_

 _"You're mad."_

 _"That may be, but do you truly wish to see your child in the hands of the Evil Queen?" The sentry posed; watching as the young woman in his charge paced the floor of her cell, with brown strands of her hair wafting about her head in the faint breeze brought about by her idle movements "I will help you. You know this."_

 _"And if we're both caught, we die" The prisoner snapped; pausing in the act of her pacing long enough to turn flashing blue eyes upon her companion, and taking in his apparent shock, while her expression softened slightly in accordance "I—I'm sorry. I just—I want her back."_

 _"Then you must take her back! You survived the Dark One; surely the Evil Queen is nowhere near as frightening—"_

 _"The Dark One is nothing, compared to her. He, at least, has the ability to love."_

 _Unable to resist the snort of surprise and open disbelief that came about as a result of such a statement, the sentry simply shook his head; aware of the rather shrewd glance that his companion had given him in response, and lifting a brow in growing curiosity as he determined that she expected an explanation for his undeniable reaction._

 _He owed her that much, he supposed…_

 _"You truly believe that he—that Rumplestiltskin—can love?" He began; skepticism heavy in his tone as the prisoner moved to sit upon the rather uncomfortable looking structure that had been rudimentarily constructed into a bed for her to sleep in "How, if I may ask?"_

 _"He loved me, once. I know he did."_

 _"You?"_

 _"Yes, me" The prisoner confirmed; a slight hint of aggravation lacing her tone as she squared her shoulders, and gave the sentry a look that almost dared him to deny her claim outright "How else did you—did you think I had the baby?"_

 _"The child is his?"_

 _"It is, yes."_

 _"But—but how—"_

 _"I agreed to go with him to be caretaker at his castle" The woman informed; closing her eyes for a moment while her hand rested almost protectively over her now flat stomach, and exhaling slowly before going on "In return, he would save my people from the Ogre attacks that nearly destroyed our village."_

 _"And then you fell in love with him?"_

 _"It wasn't as simple as all of that, but eventually, yes I did" Wide blue eyes once again leveled themselves at the sentry in conjunction with these words; startling him with how earnest her belief in the potential goodness of the man that was more commonly referred to as a scourge appeared to be, and rendering him silent as she in turn moved to elaborate further._

 _"He was—different, with me. There was a man there, behind the monster; and that man had a tremendous capability for good."_

 _"Do you really believe he loved you?" The sentry inquired; genuine curiosity coloring his words, and seeming to indicate to his companion that he did not mean the question in any derogatory way "The man is not exactly known for his kindness and compassion."_

 _"He never said the words. But I—I like to believe he did."_

 _"I see."_

 _"You don't believe me, do you?" The young woman asked; a gentle smile crossing her features for a brief moment, before her expression was resettling itself into something more resembling of its former distress "I suppose I would be silly to think that anyone would."_

 _"Perhaps it is not any worse than my recent suggestion."_

 _Watching as the prisoner's eyes widened briefly, before a dawning comprehension took hold of her features, the sentry stifled a satisfied grin as she once again straightened; and fixed him with a look that seemed to indicate she had, at least for the moment, granted his theory some thought._

 _"Alright then" She managed; a small nod the only movement she gave as she persisted in the act of watching her companion with a mixture of curiosity, and open apprehension "But if we are to do this; then I think there will be one more thing I ask of you."_

 _"What might that be?" The sentry inquired; a belated flush rising to his cheeks beneath the weight of the prisoner's earnest observation, and only deepening as she answered his query with one of her own._

 _"What is your name?"_

 _"Gideon" He replied; lifting a brow as he caught how the woman's eyes had widened once more, as though the name were significant to her in some way, but choosing to ignore it in favor of persuading her to return the favor of an introduction "And yours?"_

 _"Belle. My name is Belle."_

...

(Storybrooke, present-day)

"You're sure you should be coming to work this early in the game?" Ruby inquired; tilting her head to the side, and regarding Katarina carefully, as though she expected her condition to suddenly deteriorate right before her eyes "Granny said she'd be good with you delaying a few more weeks—"

"Trust me, Ruby; I _need_ to get out of the house."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes and no" Kat replied; lifting a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, and accepting the apron that Ruby handed her, before elaborating any further "Mom is being over-protective like you'd expect, but I won't lie and say I haven't enjoyed the extra time with Henry."

"Well you know he's welcome to stop here after school any time."

"Thanks, Ruby."

"You're welcome" Ruby acknowledged; turning her attention to her companion's chosen outfit, and lifting a brow in open curiosity "You know, you don't have to dress so conservatively—"

"I'm a fan of being comfortable."

"Well, let me know if you ever want a change of wardrobe."

"Will do" Kat confirmed; rolling her eyes at the mock-scowl Ruby sent her chosen jeans and white t-shirt, and securing the ties of her apron about her waist before going on "Which section is mine, then?"

"The one along the wall, and the first half of the bar. Granny's got me on the center tables, and the rest of the bar that isn't already yours."

"Sounds good—"

"Looks like you've got your first customer" Ruby interjected; inclining her head towards one of the tables along the far side of the wall opposite where they stood, and failing to entirely suppress the grin that wanted so badly to break free at her realization "You sure you've got this without a few test runs first?"

"I'm sure" Kat said; managing what she hoped would amount to a reassuring nod for Ruby's benefit, and turning to face her first new charge, only to find her eyes widening in surprise as she caught sight of an as yet unfamiliar blonde sliding into a booth across from Henry. From everything Henry had told her thus far, it truly was not surprising that her expression was nothing short of wary; her shoulders remaining rather resolutely scrunched as though expecting some manner of rejection or attack. In contrast to that feature, however, it was at least reassuring that when she turned her attention towards Henry, her expression warmed—and it was that realization that prompted Kat to move forward; her focus for the moment zeroing in on Henry himself while she spoke.

"Hey kiddo—who's your friend?"

"My mom" He responded; grinning to beat the band as he turned his gaze from Kat, to the blonde that sat across from him "Emma, this is my sister, Kat."

"Your—sister" Emma repeated; green eyes widening just a bit as they took in Katarina's appearance, and the woman in question managed a smile in return.

"I promise, I'm not going to tell you I'm yours, too."

As she had hoped, Kat was granted the brief respite of a soft chuckle from her newest acquaintance; one hand extending from beneath the protection of a red leather jacket, and prompting her to reach forward with her own.

"Emma Swan."

"Katarina Mills."

"Henry's told me a lot about you" Emma added; turning back to the boy seated across from her at the table, and giving him a look that said all too clearly that she was half torn between admiration over his tenacity, and resignation that his stubbornness had kept her from leaving.

"I hope he's told you good things—"

"Only the best."

"Well then I absolutely know he's been lying" Kat laughed; shifting one foot so that she could nudge Henry's own, and redirecting her attention to Emma before going on "What's the damage?"

"He seems to think we're a lot alike."

"Does he now?"

"Looks like it" Emma replied; her expression turning slightly guarded before she went on "And he's told me you know of this curse thing too."

"That would be correct" Kat confirmed; directing a glance towards Henry, and noting with some chagrin that he was grinning to beat the band, as though her admission, and Emma's were one and the same with an admission of belief in the curse itself "It's nearly all he ever wants to talk about."

"Has he always been that stubborn?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

"Hey! You two _do_ know I'm still right here—" Henry began; feigned exasperation only too apparent in his youthful features as he looked from Emma, to Kat before changing course to focus on her more directly "And besides, we don't have much time 'til I need to be at school."

"Which means you want me to take your order" Kat supplied; reaching over to ruffle Henry's dark hair affectionately, and simultaneously redirecting her glance toward the blonde opposite him "Any cravings in particular?"

"Pancakes! And cocoa with cinnamon!" Henry exclaimed; practically bouncing in his seat over the prospect of a chance at one of his favorite meals, and turning to look rather expectantly towards Emma while she spoke.

"I—guess I'll have the same."

"Right down to the cocoa with cinnamon?" Kat inquired; lifting a brow in open inquiry over the unique trait, and awaiting Emma's ensuing reply with some curiosity.

"Yep. I guess it's a family thing."

Smiling to herself in acknowledgement of Henry's tone, and how it was not all that different from pride, Kat dutifully scribbled both orders down on the notepad Ruby had given her, and turned to head back towards the kitchen to relay them; one furtive glance cast behind her demonstrating that Henry had already fallen back into conversation with Emma in her wake. In truth, she was grateful that he seemed to have another person willing to bond with him; even if that person was every bit as skeptical over his theories as she was herself. And, with such a thought in mind, Kat proceeded towards the kitchen; a slight laugh leaving her as she clipped the order paper in the ticket holder hanging just above the open window that allowed communication between kitchen staff, and those working the main floor.

Though she was hesitant for any more conflict, Kat would have been a fool to deny that some small part of her would have given anything to see her mother's expression, were she to choose that exact moment to walk through the door…

…

After her shift, which went surprisingly well, given she had never waited a table or served a meal in her lifetime, Kat found herself perched on a bench near the docks; the sound of the waves lapping at the obstruction in its path almost eerily relaxing, in spite of what she had chosen to do there. A quick trip home had granted her the opportunity to slip into her bedroom unnoticed, and snatch the book Henry had been so insistent that she read; something not altogether different from an instinctive pull to read more prompting her to act against all of her trepidation without second thought. It was preposterous, of course—all of it was. But even that knowledge did not seem to be enough to waylay her; one foot coming to rest beneath her legs as she leaned back against the arm of the bench, and opened the book on her lap without her customary hesitation.

It was as though something unimaginable was determined to make her believe; even if at the outset, she had no desire to do so.

Shaking her head at the thought, Kat glanced down at the page she had marked when she had last done some reading; her eyes scanning over the picture that was painted on the page to the left, and widening slightly at the depth of the detail therein. Two were in the picture—a man and a woman, seemingly lost in what appeared to be a rather fervent argument; the man's back towards her viewpoint, while the woman's features were in full view. She was beautiful, Kat supposed; dark brown curls framing a pale face with high cheekbones, and startlingly blue eyes that seemed capable of seeing right into someone's very soul. And, in an attempt at avoiding too much contemplation of that very fact, and how disconcerting it was to feel such a thing from a simple drawing in a book, Kat instead redirected her attention to the story on the following page, a sigh leaving her as she forced herself to enact patience, and simply read without question.

According to the story, a woman had sacrificed herself to earn the safety of her village during an ogre attack; the subsequent captivity that she faced at the hands of one known as Rumplestiltskin turning, rather unexpectedly, into a love story of its own. To someone who did as best she could to remain grounded in reality, of course, the very idea was laughable; even in spite of how something about the woman in the painting seemed unbelievably familiar. For even considering such a thing, Kat would have been unwise to presume that she was entirely sane; particularly as recent memory dictated that she had never actually come into contact with a woman fitting the same description in Storybrooke. But in the face of that knowledge, she could not entirely find it within herself to stop her fingertip from brushing with a tentative gentleness against the woman's painted cheekbone; her teeth coming out to worry at her lower lip as she continued to mull over the impossible.

The argument she had inferred from the painting was real; the couple depicted having, once again, found themselves at odds over what amounted to the man—Rumplestiltskin's—apparent misdeeds. Presumably, the brown-haired woman in question imagined herself capable of seeing past the hardened, and power-hungry exterior to the man beneath. A fact that the man in question seemed perpetually determined to deny, if the dialogue written upon the page were any indication…

Flipping the page to read further, Kat's eyes almost immediately widened; her jaw dropping as she scanned the first words for a second, and then a third time, without them changing one iota. The woman was pregnant. _Pregnant_.

This got more and more complicated by the minute…

Almost as soon as such a thought had come to mind, however, Kat soon found her attention distracted once more; this time by the feel of the bench vibrating a bit under the impact of another occupant taking their place beside her.

"So you're reading it, are you?"

"Ah—it seems like it will be easier to live with Henry if I do" Kat replied; gracing her newfound companion with a faint hint at a smile, and beginning the act of closing the book, only to find that the man that sat beside her had reached a hand out to stop her in the act while he spoke.

"You don't have to stop on my account, dearie."

"I don't think it'd be very entertaining for you to just watch me read—"

"Then perhaps you might tell me about what you've learned so far."

"Really?" Kat inquired; skeptical, to say the least, that Gold would want anything to do with Henry's book, but nonetheless rather curious to see what his own reaction might be upon hearing some of the more outlandish stories contained therein "I didn't take you as the sort to believe in fairytales."

"And what if I've chosen to surprise you by hiding that very fact?" The pawnbroker questioned; something in his expression changing to become nearly unreadable as he glanced at the drawing on the page Kat had been reading just moments ago "I do have that tendency—"

"How much do you know about Rumplestiltskin, then?"

"I find myself at least vaguely aware of the tale" Gold replied; a very obviously feigned smile toying at the corners of his mouth as he shifted slightly, and placed both hands atop the ever-present cane that was never far from his side "Am I to assume that is what you're reading about?"

"You wouldn't be wrong if you did. Apparently he was—"

"He was what?"

"In love" Kat answered; watching her companion's reaction as carefully as she dared, and finding herself surprised in how quickly the sparse emotion upon his features had evaporated into a neutral mask "With a woman he originally held as a captive, no less."

"Indeed" Gold mused; drumming the fingertips of one hand against the knuckles of the other for a moment in silence, before he determined it was more prudent to elaborate for the sake of alleviating some of his companion's apparent apprehension "That in and of itself seems a bit far-fetched, dearie."

"I take it you don't buy into the 'anyone is capable of finding love' theory?"

"Do you really believe it yourself?"

Caught off guard by the question, Kat opened her mouth, only to find herself shutting it as no answer became readily available; her shoulders drooping somewhat as she glanced back down at the book in her lap, and she wet her lips with a swipe of her tongue. Something about Gold's inquiry had her wondering—wondering if his query had more to do with his own personal convictions and experiences than he desired to let on. But before she was fully able to examine that idea, and question him regarding it, Kat found her gaze snapping back towards him directly; her eyes widening as she caught sight of what he held in the hand that was now extended towards her.

"I hate to break off what is evidently capable of turning into a fascinating conversation, my dear, but I did not come here to discuss my beliefs about love."

"Then what—what did you come here to discuss?"

"This" Gold replied; handing the object in his hand into Kat's keeping, and watching as she averted her gaze from his own features, to the trinket she had in her grasp "You never had to barter that to pay back your debt to Mary Margaret, you know."

"I certainly didn't expect you to pay her for me for free!" Kat exclaimed; forgetting her desire to carefully assess her companion's reaction in favor of something that was more resemblant of affronted surprise "That—that isn't me at all."

"I never said it was; dearie. I simply know how much it means to you."

"I—thank you" Kat began; silently cursing herself for her halting speech, and keeping her attention fixed on the sapphire gem that glimmered wildly in the sunlight from the end of its chain "Really. Thank you."

"Well, my dear, it was no trouble at all. It's yours, and you ought to keep it."

"But what about paying you back for—for giving Mary Margaret the money she used to help Henry?"

"Don't worry yourself over that, dearie" Gold replied; something unreadable taking over his features as he watched Kat carefully for a moment, before rising from the seat he had occupied beside her, and shifting slightly to regain the balance lost to him through the act before he finished.

"And you might do well to put that bauble back around your neck, before something else happens to it…"

…

 **Hello there, my dearies! And welcome to yet another delayed new chapter! Yet again, I truly have no excuse for the delay, other than ending up having my muses confiscated by some new ones for 'Outlander' (what can I say, I love me a good Scottish lad). But here we have it! A new update! And I promise, once again, that I have no intentions of abandoning this story! I know, also, that this chapter was yet another filler, and not really pertinent to the plot of season one as a whole—but I just couldn't help the urge to elaborate a bit further in my attempts at setting up the plot and the pre-existing relationship between Gold, Kat, and all the other Storybrooke residents; so hopefully that meets with your approval! I promise, the main plot line (and later on, August!) are coming soon!**

 **As always, my sincere thanks go out to everyone who has taken the time to read, follow, favorite, or review this tale! I couldn't do any of this without your generous support; and I appreciate each and every one of you for giving it so willingly! Special thanks of course go out to my reviewers (CrystalVixen93, animexchick, Millenia-the-wings-of-valmar, JustPassingThru, JimmyHall24, SeraphineWhist, Senza Luna, Malorn-10, and Christmas 95)! I am so very thrilled that you enjoyed chapter 8, and I can only hope you enjoy this chapter every bit as much!**

 **Until next time…**

 **MJR**


	10. Leverage

(Storybrooke, present-day)

"You got it back!" Henry enthused; eyes fixed upon the pendant that dangled from Kat's neck as she stooped to pick up the napkin he had dropped from his lap in his haste to get a closer look "When did that happen?"

"Yesterday. After my shift at Granny's" Katarina replied; dropping the napkin on the empty plate that had once housed Henry's breakfast, and moving around the table to take it back into the kitchen for washing, and he moved to follow her as she did so.

"Did Mr. Gold give it to you?"

Depositing the dish in the sink, and stepping over towards the trash can to do the same with the paper napkin, Kat exhaled a sigh; her lips pursing together for a moment as she considered the apparent skepticism in Henry's inquiry. It was obvious to her that he didn't trust the pawnbroker—that many of the inhabitants of their little town didn't trust him, in fact—and although she could not quite find it within herself to join them in that mutual distrust and dislike of the man, Katarina held her tongue in regards to questioning Henry on that particular fact; instead choosing to simply answer his question as directly as she could as she set herself to the task of cleaning up after their shared breakfast.

"Yes, he did."

"What do you owe him in return?"

"What do you mean?"

"Every time he does something for someone, they have to pay him back" Henry explained; his expression seeming to indicate that he was clearly in doubt of his sister's sanity, and powers of recollection while he elaborated further "He gave you the necklace, so he probably expects something from you, too."

"Well he certainly never made mention of anything like that—" Kat began; flicking the switch to the garbage disposal, and wincing a bit against the harsh grinding sound it made as the uneaten remnants of their breakfast swirled away out of sight "He just seemed like he wanted to chat a bit; that's all."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, kiddo, I'm sure."

Aware of the sensation of Henry nudging at her side to get her to scoot over, and turning to see him standing beside her with towel in hand, Kat was unable to suppress her smile; her own arm shifting to return the nudge with one of her own before she set to work on scrubbing the first plate. In truth, she was touched by his concern; if for no other reason than that it meant their bond was still every bit as strong as it had been, even in spite of the arrival of his birth mother, and a subsequent new chance for a family. It had not occurred to her at the time of Emma's arrival, but some small part of her had apparently been apprehensive that his reconnection with the blonde would threaten their own closeness in one way or another—and, satisfied that such an occurrence was no longer a threat, nor had it ever been, Kat straightened her shoulders and redirected her attention to the dish cleansing at hand; her lips turning upward in an attempt at a smile as she felt Henry leaning slightly against her side before she spoke.

"You want me to walk you to school today? Or would you rather take the bus?"

As if she didn't already know the answer…

…

"You wanted to see me, Madam Mayor?"

Glancing up from the document she had been perusing, Regina reassembled her features into a faint smile that was meant to be a sign of welcome; her posture straightening as she placed the pen she had been fiddling with rather absently back down upon the desk, while her guest took the liberty of moving himself further into the cleanliness and order of her office at the Town Hall. As ever, the man was impeccably dressed; a trait more unsettling than she would ever dare to admit, as it was all too likely indicative of an inherent inability to avoid letting much in the way of her threats turn intimidating. But, in spite of that reality, Regina was not going to permit herself to be so easily swayed; her eyes holding Gold's with equal fervor as she gestured for him to take one of the seats opposite her desk, before she spoke.

"I did. Hopefully I'm not interfering in your busy schedule—"

 _As though she cared…_

"No, not at all, dearie" Gold replied; endeavoring to get a bit more comfortable in his current position seated across from the Mayor, and returning her feigned attempt at a smile with one of his own before going on "Though I am a bit curious as to why you wanted to speak to me, of all people."

"I wanted to ask you exactly what you think you're playing at with my daughter."

"What I am playing at—"

"She seems to think the two of you are friends" Regina maintained; holding onto her composure by a thread, and wiling her features to remain neutral so as to avoid alerting her would-be guest to the very real anger that was so near to overwhelming her "Quite close friends, if I'm not mistaken."

"Last I looked, that was no crime" Gold mused; one brow lifting in open skepticism as he noted the brief flare of irritation that brought about a tightening in Regina's already pursed lips, and acknowledged the sense of satisfaction that such a thing brought about "Unless of course you've managed to write a law against friendship in the last hour or so before my arrival."

"Very funny, Mr. Gold" Regina began; tempering her voice so that it would seem less acerbic than she truly wished it to be, and leaning back in her own chair with both arms crossed over her chest "But why don't we dispense with dancing around the subject, for once; and just get to the point?"

"And what point might that be?"

"The _point_ is that you've been inserting yourself into my daughter's life every bit as much as Miss Swan has been doing the same in my son's; and it is well beyond time for that to stop."

"Are you threatened by me, then, Madam Mayor?" Gold inquired; the soft chuckle he gave only serving to harden Regina's features as he adopted an expression of feigned innocence before going on "Believe me, I hardly plan on stealing your children from under your nose."

"Then what do you want with Katarina?"

"She's a lovely girl, Madam Mayor; surely you realize that—"

"Of course I do!"

"Then it must not be such a mystery that anyone other than yourself would wish to spend time with her."

"Aren't you a little old to be spending your time with young girls?" Regina pressed; crossing one leg over the other, and fidgeting a bit in her seat in an effort at making her line of questioning seem less precise. She was probing, of course; a suspicion having grown in her mind regarding Gold and his awareness of the reality of their situation ever since Emma Swan's untimely arrival. But loathe as she was to alert _him_ to that suspicion, Regina resolved to remain as unobtrusive as she could; one brow lifting in open skepticism of the obvious amusement on her counterpart's features while he replied.

"Believe me, dearie, my interests are not that superficial."

"Then what are they? These—interests—of yours?"

"Perhaps they are simply centered around encouraging the ideations of a young woman with a rather sharp mind."

"I am perfectly capable of encouraging her myself, Mr. Gold" The Mayor hissed; for the moment losing hold over her carefully constructed composure, and shifting to curl the fingers of both hands around the arms of the chair she occupied, for lack of anything more constructive to do with them in her anger "Katarina does not need you, or your baubles, to feel worthwhile, and encouraged."

"My baubles?" Gold stated; chuckling again, albeit more so out of a continued desire to aggravate the Mayor, than out of any real feeling of good humor "My goodness, Madam Mayor, you have quite the eccentric vocabulary—"

"Why did you give her the pendant back?"

"It was hers, was it not? I felt it only proper to return it to its rightful owner."

Not at all assuaged by the assertion, Regina leaned forward with both elbows placed carefully upon the desk before her; her fingers intertwining to create a surface for her to rest her chin before she narrowed her gaze at her would-be opponent, and took a slight breath before speaking.

"Why is it that I don't entirely believe you?"

"That seems to be more of a personal matter" Gold quipped; one corner of his mouth turning up in an almost ironic smile as he regarded Regina with no short supply of bemused curiosity "You'll forgive me if I refrain from involving myself in such things."

"In my experience, it's a bit odd for you not to be involved" Regina pressed; regaining some control over her aggravation, and managing a slight relaxation of her shoulders before going on "Or do you plan on denying how you've stuck your nose into pretty much every event that's gone on in this town?"

"I'm a landlord, dearie. That sort of thing tends to come along with the job."

Scoffing in open disbelief at the statement, Regina remained stonily silent otherwise, at least for the moment; her anger once again coming oh so close to overwhelming the desire that had caused her to have the man meet with her in the first place. He was hiding something. She knew that as surely as she knew her own name. But in spite of all her best efforts, getting him to reveal even a hint of whatever that knowledge was had been about as simple as extracting a tooth from someone's mouth without any anesthesia—the comparison only serving to renew the tension that had been nagging at the space between her shoulder blades, and forcing her to exhale slowly in an attempt at relieving it.

"Well whatever your reasons, you would be wise to heed my advice" She stated; noting with some degree of predictable resignation that Gold appeared completely unabashed by her attempt at giving an order, and forcing herself to press on regardless.

"And if I ever find you trying to turn my daughter against me, you'll have a lot more than late rent payments to worry about."

…

"You're kidding" Mary Margaret began; looking from Henry to Emma, and back again as her apparent astonishment was met with the exact opposite of the reaction she had been looking for "You want me to read to a coma patient in the hopes of—waking him up—"

"Yep" Henry confirmed; grinning at his teacher, and casting a sidelong glance towards Emma before going on "If you wake him up, maybe he'll remember who he really is."

"And you think who he really is—is Prince Charming."

"What I think Henry is going for, here, is just to give the guy some company" Emma cut in; nudging Henry gently in the side, and failing to entirely suppress her smile as she turned back towards Mary Margaret to elaborate further "You know—in case he really is aware of what's going on around him."

"Right. And that—it won't come across as a little weird?"

"There's proof, you know. That coma patients _can_ hear what people say" Henry persisted; glancing both towards his mother, and Mary Margaret as though willing them to believe what he said, and noting that both of them appeared at least a bit less reluctant than they had before "Please, Miss Blanchard? Please at least give this a chance?"

Releasing a sigh at the obvious plea that was in Henry's tone, Mary Margaret leaned back in the seat of the booth across from the boy and his birth-mother; both arms crossing over her chest as she regarded them both with brows raised in open apprehension. Of course, she was forced to acknowledge that she truly never stood a chance against Henry's request; even without the prospect of the boy bringing his mother along for the ride. But even that awareness was not entirely enough to quell her uncertainty; her hands smoothing down the edges of the knee-length skirt she had worn for classes that day before she squared her shoulders in her best attempt at appearing determined, and managed a nod.

"Okay, Henry; I'll do it. Though it looks like I'll be the one doing most of the talking—"

In spite of her apprehension, the teacher would have been lying, had she pretended that some small part of her was not eager to do something that was so remarkably different from the routine that had become her life…

…

"You're kidding" Kat exclaimed; stopping mid-motion as she had been preparing to place some of the cookies she had decided to make in the oven, and turning to face Henry with a raised brow "You actually convinced Mary Margaret to read to the guy?"

"Emma and I both did" Henry replied; grinning as though he had just announced that he had won a trophy of some kind, and placing both elbows on the countertop so that he could rest his chin on his hands before going on "She's gonna do it tonight, and then we're meeting for breakfast at Granny's tomorrow to hear the story. You should come!"

"Really."

"Really! Come on, Kat, it'll be fun" Henry pleaded; his eyes growing slightly rounder as he attempted to wheedle his sister into consent, and consequently earned himself an eye-roll, and a semi-reluctant laugh from the woman in question "Please?"

"Alright, kiddo, I'll come" Kat agreed; unable to resist the smile that toyed at the corner of her mouth at Henry's answering whoop, and doing her best to keep the cookie sheet steady as he moved around the countertop and threw his arms about her waist "But you need to promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Make sure you don't eat all of these cookies before dinner. Mom'll kill me if you have no appetite."

"Why would he not have an appetite?"

"Kat's making cookies" Henry replied; dropping his arms from around Katarina's waist so that she could place the sheet she held in the oven, and noticing Regina's apparent terseness as evidenced in her pose, with arms crossed over her chest "She told me not to eat all of them before dinner."

"Well she's right" Regina confirmed; glancing towards where Katarina was now rehanging the oven mitts on the rack beside the appliance, and noting with some degree of dismay that the familiar blue pendant still rested around her neck "Henry, did you get your homework done?"

"Yep."

"Did you recheck it?"

"No—"

"Well why don't you go ahead and do that. I need to talk with your sister for a moment."

"But I—"

"Henry, please do as your told!" Regina pressed; silently chastising herself for the sudden harshness in her tone, and how it had caused both Henry and Katarina to flinch in response, before the former nodded, and sidled his way towards the doorway that led back to the foyer and the stairwell therein. Once she was certain he was out of earshot, upon hearing the sounds of his footfalls as he made his way upstairs to his room, Regina relaxed, even if only slightly; her footsteps carrying her to the chair situated opposite where Katarina stood beside the oven before she spoke.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Do you remember exactly where you got that pendant?"

Stunned, to say the least, by such an unexpected question, Kat remained silent for a moment; shifting just enough to grant herself the opportunity to lean back against one portion of the countertop, and look at her mother more directly.

"What are you talking about? _You_ gave it to me, for my birthday."

"Except that I didn't" Regina pressed; lifting a brow at Katarina's apparent desire to avoid meeting her eye directly, and still persisting in her line of questioning in an attempt at getting to the truth. It was obvious that something was off in her daughter's explanation; though it was not yet apparent whether or not Katarina was consciously aware of her own deception—which of course was what the Mayor was determined to discover, no matter what transpired as a result.

"You've had it ever since I can remember."

"Well that doesn't change how I remember getting it" Kat protested; curiosity dawning in her expression as she shifted both shoulders as though trying to ease some form of tension that existed between them "I just—I know I've had it ever since I was four."

 _Four—the age that Katarina had been when Regina enacted her curse, and stole her from her rightful parents forever…_

Shaking herself before the thought could bring about any change in her features, however, Regina resettled her expression into one of a more genial nature; her eyes meeting those of her daughter for a moment of silent contemplation before she spoke.

"If you ever do remember exactly who you got it from, will you tell me?"

"I guess—but why—why does it really matter, anyway, Mom?"

"It's just a matter of simple curiosity" Regina replied; persuading a smile to spread across her features in an effort at appearing only mildly intrigued in the answer that her daughter might have given her, and turning to set about the task of gathering ingredients for their supper before she finished.

"In the meantime, though, how about you grab the leftover chicken from the refrigerator. I'm in the mood for a salad."

…

 _(Enchanted Forest, thirty-two years ago)_

 _"What do you want, Regina?" The Dark One spat; hardly glancing from the spinning wheel that he was so intent upon to acknowledge the unwanted visitor that had recently arrived at his castle "I'm a bit busy, if you could not tell—"_

 _"You aren't even going to comment on how I got in here to begin with? You need to get yourself some better locks, Rumple."_

 _"Something tells me you'd still find a way to let yourself in" Rumplestiltskin countered; finally abandoning his efforts at the spinning wheel in favor of turning to face the woman that had so effectively broken his solitude with a shrewd glance in tow "So I will ask you again. What—do—you—want?"_

 _"I came to see how you were doing, of course" Regina purred; running a gloved fingertip along the surface of the wooden table at her side, and investigating the grayish debris that marred the otherwise pristine surface of said glove for a moment before going on "Looks like you're a bit worse for wear."_

 _"I fail to see how that should matter to you. It is my castle, after all."_

 _"It matters because I was under the impression you had someone around to take care of the place" The Queen pressed; leaning a hip against the table, and regarding her companion with unmasked glee as she caught sight of the slight tensing in the lines of his shoulders and back "What happened to her? Did you scare her away?"_

 _"You know very well what happened—"_

 _"Ah yes. You forced her out."_

 _"You turned her against me!" The Dark One growled; rising to stand so quickly that he nearly upended the stool he had been sitting upon in the process "You know exactly what you did; and you've come here to gloat!"_

 _"As I recall, Rumple, you were the one who told yourself you could never be loved" Regina persisted; moving away from the table in favor of walking to meet her adversary toe to toe, and adopting a rather satisfied grin at the very obvious anger that was so apparent in his features "This is just a self-fulfilling prophecy."_

 _"Shut up!"_

 _"Ooh, so testy—and I haven't even told you the best part yet—"_

 _"I don't want to hear anything from you!"_

 _"Not even when it pertains to your own flesh and blood?"_

 _Freezing in the act of turning away from the troublesome intruder, Rumplestiltskin tightened the fingers of one hand into a fist; every muscle he possessed tightening in response to the taunting that Regina seemed so determined to throw at him. Before he could have had any hope at stopping it, he had given the Evil Queen exactly what she wanted; namely by the utter stillness and silence of his most recent reaction._

 _Flesh and blood—that was impossible, unless—_

 _"Now that's more like it" Regina cooed; shifting until she rested before her counterpart once again, and looking him over with apparent satisfaction as a muscle in his jaw twitched before he spoke._

 _"Tell me what you came here for" He hissed; pulling away from the Queen as she stepped just a bit closer, and fighting to maintain composure as the information that Regina relayed hit home._

 _"I rather thought you'd be more amiable to a chat if you knew there was a child—your child—involved…"_

…

 **Hello there, my dearies, and welcome to a brand new chapter! I have to admit that this little guy got away from me just a bit; and I didn't get quite as far into the scenes where Mary Margaret reads to David as I originally planned—but hopefully the hint of that taking place, and the rest of the goings on make up for it! And you can all rest assured that I plan to get more detail on the MM-David story in the next chapter!**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every single one of my readers for the ongoing support! It makes me so happy to see that so many are enjoying these chapters; and I can only hope that will continue as the story goes on! And special thanks goes out to all of my reviewers (CrystalVixen93, blackcat711, JustPassingThru, Malorn-10, SeraphineWhist, and Christmas 95)! I am so thrilled that you enjoyed chapter 9, and I cannot wait to hear what you think of this one!**

 **Until next time…**

 **MJR**


	11. Time Unraveled

_(Enchanted Forest, thirty-two years ago)_

 _"What child?"_

 _"Oh, so now you show some interest" Regina cooed; grinning slowly as she looked her adversary over as a predator might its prey "I was wondering how long it might take."_

 _"What—child" Rumplestiltskin repeated; the slight flick of a wrist serving to move the Queen forcibly until her back slammed against a nearby wall. The gesture would have been satisfying, he believed, had she not responded to the act with nothing more than a semi-strangled chuckle—and in spite of the ire that such a thing raised within him, the Dark One released her from his hold; the satisfaction of watching her stumble as she was once again dropped to her feet holding little amusement for him, and forcing him to remain patient, at least for the moment, as she coughed hoarsely before she spoke._

 _"You mean to tell me you really didn't know?"_

 _The look of flat displeasure upon her counterpart's features was all the confirmation that Regina required, of course; a grim smile overtaking her own countenance as she straightened her posture, and flicked a lock of dark hair behind her shoulder before elaborating further._

 _"The woman you kept here—when you sent her away, you neglected to detect one very important detail" She began; watching the Dark One's reaction carefully, and finding herself pleased to see that he was watching her avidly, even in spite of his obvious unwillingness to do so "To be honest, Rumple, I never took you for a man to abandon the prospect of a family—"_

 _"That girl was not my family. She was a pawn that you sent to try and undermine my power" the Dark One hissed; advancing on the Evil Queen, and forcing his features to remain stoic in spite of the spasm of pain that tore at him in response to the mention of the woman he had sent away. It was apparent that her desire was to get beneath his skin; distracting him with raw emotion so that she might stand a chance against him in a game of words. Even with that knowledge, however, it was not enough to completely force all emotion from his mind; the faint inward curling of the fingers of his right hand belying his attempts at neutral indifference while Regina moved in to taunt him once again._

 _"Oh? And what of the child you gave her?" She inquired; her eyes flicking down to the slight source of movement, and a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she realized that her words had, in fact, touched a nerve no matter what her adversary might have wished "Would you turn your own daughter away from you as well?"_

 _"I do not have a daughter. I had a son; and I have already lost him."_

 _"You deny what I tell you, and yet you know it is true. Why?"_

 _"Because it is you that is telling me."_

 _"Would I dare lie to you about this?" Regina pressed; her tone still heavy with something not too different from pleasure over her companion's unease, even though she had attempted to hide that very fact by crossing to the table and taking a seat before going on "You're the one that can see the future, Rumple. Use that, and try and tell me I'm wrong."_

 _Though he would never admit it aloud, the Dark One had already begun to do just that; the image of a tiny, squalling bundle causing the breath to catch in his throat. The infant was pink-faced, and quite obviously enraged; the man that held it looking almost as uncomfortable as the tiny bundle he held. All too soon, that image faded away, replaced instead by one of a toddler; dark brown curls in disarray around a pale face, with round brown eyes that hit him with a jolt of sheer recognition._

 _The child had his eyes…_

 _Thrown back to the present by the impact of the shock he felt upon such a realization, the Dark One whirled on Regina in seconds; this time not bothering to use magic out of a desire to see the life leave her from underneath the pressure of his own hands on her throat. He could hear the whistle of her breath as it struggled to move past the obstruction created from his own action. He could see the slight tinge of panic that mingled with vindictive amusement in her eyes as she looked up at him without blinking. But even that was not enough; not now. His mistake had cost him the woman he loved—_

 _And it was all too apparent that the woman before him now just might have cost him a child, as well._

 _"What have you done with her?" He demanded; only relinquishing the pressure of his hands enough for Regina to be able to reply in a hoarse whisper, and gritting his teeth as the answer confirmed his earlier suspicion without fail._

 _"What have I done with whom? Your maid?"_

 _"My daughter."_

 _"She is no longer your concern" Regina replied; swallowing convulsively against the pressure of the Dark One's hands about her throat, and keeping her eyes fixed upon his own so that he would not see the faintest flickers of a flame that had begun to emanate from her palm "Neither is her mother, for that matter."_

 _"What did you do to them?"_

 _"As if you deserve to know" The Evil Queen spat; permitting the flame in her hand to grow so that she could force her opponent to relinquish his hold upon her throat as its heat pressed closer towards his frame "As if I owe you anything at all."_

 _"You owe me the truth!" Rumplestiltskin retorted; hardly granting the ball of flame in Regina's hand any attention at all, in favor of persisting in the attempt at obtaining more information—information that she seemed all too ready to divulge, even in spite of her feigned reluctance._

 _She was toying with him, and he knew it…_

 _"Actually, Rumple, I don't. But being the kind soul that I am, I suppose I could give you what you want, just this once" Regina began; the flame encased in the palm of her hand only growing as she caught how her opponent's eyes had narrowed, like a snake preparing to strike "Perhaps you ought to sit down—"_

 _Aware of the expression on the Dark One's features, and how it rather clearly indicated that he had no intention of following her instructions, Regina opted for pressing her advantage in knowledge against her companion; a rather grim smile dawning upon her features as she waved her hand before her in what might have been an innocent gesture, but for the iron links that sprang from the wall behind Rumplestiltskin, and twined themselves about his wrists in response._

 _"Your daughter will be mine, now; raised as my own flesh and blood from the beginning. I daresay she'll have a better life that way. And as for the girl you gave her to—" The Evil Queen began; pausing just long enough to emit a laugh that caused the Dark One's expression to tighten, even as he struggled in vain against the bonds that would not abate their hold upon him until she willed it so, before stepping just a bit closer to look him in the eye._

 _"Well, I'm sorry to say your precious Belle is dead."_

 _As soon as she had confessed such a revelation, the Evil Queen was gone in a whirl of dark purple smoke; the vestigial laughter that echoed about the room only surmounted by a strange fizzing sound as the chains that once held Rumplestiltskin captive faded into nothing, and he fell to his knees in grief and despair…_

…

(Storybrooke, present-day)

"Well you look like you've seen a ghost—" Katarina stated; placing the cup of steaming black coffee on the table before the pawnbroker that had taken a seat in her section, and stepping back with both arms crossed against her chest. In spite of her plans to be at the diner for breakfast, when Emma, Henry, and Mary Margaret met to discuss the outcome of the latter's evening spent reading to the coma patient, she was not entirely disappointed in the reality of Granny asking her to help out until Ruby showed up, after oversleeping—the prospect of making a bit of extra money at the same time as she was able to satisfy her curiosity over her friend's evening causing her to smile to herself before she returned her attention to the present and her current companion.

"What gives you that impression, my dear?"

"The way you just jumped as though I had scared you out of your skin just by giving you a coffee—"

"Well aren't you perceptive?"

"I try" Kat replied; shrugging a singular shoulder, and watching in silence for a moment as Gold took a sip of the proffered coffee, before pressing further "So what is it? What's on your mind?"

"As I recall, Doctor Hopper was the town psychiatrist."

"Ha-ha. Very funny."

"I thought you might find it amusing" Gold quipped; a smile tugging the corner of his mouth upward at the expression of exasperation that crossed features that were so remarkably similar to his own. The sharp lines of bone and tendon were softened, somewhat, by femininity, of course; and by the good fortune of her mother's own genetic input. But in spite of that reality, the pawnbroker was unable to deny the slight curiosity over how no one else seemed to note the similarities between them—

But of course, everyone else, aside from his own person was still under the influence of the Dark Curse…

"That amusement aside, do you intend to tell me what on earth was so riveting that having coffee placed on your table nearly gave you a heart attack? Or should I just make a few guesses myself?"

Chuckling a bit at the familiar stubbornness that Katarina exhibited in spades, Gold shook his head in resignation; gesturing for the young woman to take the seat opposite him, only to find that she was prevented from doing so at the advent of Henry running over towards her and rather eagerly taking her hand.

"Come on! Emma's getting us a booth; and Mary Margaret is almost here!"

"Hang on kiddo, I've got to talk to Granny about taking a break— "

"Already done. Emma's talking to her now."

Watching as Katarina sighed, and emitted a slight laugh at the obvious eagerness in Henry's words, Gold managed a nod and faint smile of his own; waving one hand in an attempt at waylaying the obvious concern that had spread across her features at the idea of abandoning both her job, and their conversation so lightly. Though he was not privy to the entirety of what had transpired, leading up to Henry's impatient plea, he was poignantly aware that it had something to do with Emma's arrival, and the Curse—

He knew his daughter had a part to play in its unraveling; and it would be prudent to let her figure out exactly what that part was on her own…

With such a thought in mind, it became all too simple for him to resettle himself to the task of simply finishing his coffee in solitude; the small, if not reluctant smile that Katarina gave him before she permitted Henry to tug her off towards the aforementioned booth provoking a small one of his own in return. What he had told Regina was, in fact, true—she was a lovely girl.

And, no matter what, he was going to get her back so that they might be a family once more.

…

"He grabbed my hand."

"What?"

"He grabbed—my _hand_ " Mary Margaret repeated; aware of the open skepticism in both Emma, and Katarina's expressions, and the contradictory look of undeniable excitement in Henry's, and taking a steadying breath before going on "Doctor Whale tried to tell me I imagined it; but I know I didn't."

"Did he say anything?" Katarina inquired; sharing a glance with Emma, and noting that the blonde appeared every bit as cautiously skeptical as she felt, while Mary Margaret replied once more.

"No. No, he didn't even open his eyes, but—"

"But you felt something."

It was apparent from Mary Margaret's expression upon hearing Henry's sure statement that she almost believed it herself; her eyes holding a certain cast that seemed almost indicative of some distant recollection. With brows furrowed, Katarina watched the school-teacher for a moment in silence; a part of her almost wishing that she could believe Henry's confident assertions as well—but, before such a thought could become too distracting, she shook herself back to the present, her attention shifting for a moment towards Henry himself before she spoke.

"Kiddo, don't you think you're reading into this a bit?"

"Nope."

"Well I, for one, think I'm going to side with your sister" Emma cut in; sending Kat a faint smile, before looking at Henry, and releasing a sigh as she realized that her interjection was not met by anything other than a stubborn expression that indicated that he was no more inclined to give up his fantasies now than he had been before "We don't know anything more than that he moved on his own for the first time in years."

"Because he knew his true love was right there!" Henry persisted; turning back towards Mary Margaret, and fixing her with a gaze that would have challenged even someone of remarkable restraint before going on "You have to go back and read to him again!"

"You're right—"

"Wait, what—now?" Emma began; shock apparent upon her features as she glanced between her companions for a moment, and noted that Mary Margaret had already slid out of the booth, and turned to face the door "You can't be serious."

"I am" Mary Margaret confirmed; whirling back to glance at the blonde, before squaring her shoulders, and looking down towards Henry with a smile "I'm going to go back and read to him again."

"Kat, you should come too!"

"Kiddo, I've got to finish my shift" Kat protested; reaching out to ruffle Henry's hair affectionately, and sliding out of the booth as well with a glance towards Emma and Mary Margaret as she did so "You'll keep me updated, though?"

"Of course."

"You're sure you don't want to come along?" Emma asked; lifting a brow as she regarded Katarina with an expression that seemed to indicate that she would have enjoyed the back up against Henry and Mary Margaret, who were so evidently dead-set on their current course "I'm sure Granny would let you go—"

"I know she would; but I don't want to take advantage of that just yet" Kat replied; a brief smile of thanks crossing her features for the gesture, before she grabbed the notepad she had been using to take orders, and stowed it back in the red apron tied about her waist.

"How about we do dinner later, though? To discuss whatever happens on this journey you're all taking to the hospital?"

 _No matter how she wished to avoid acknowledging it, some small part of her was eager to see if Mary Margaret would succeed in actually waking the coma patient with her stories…_

…...

 _(Enchanted Forest, twenty-nine years ago)_

 _"Mama mama mama" The little girl chirped; toddling over to the door, as Regina passed through, and a smile dawned upon her formerly drawn features "MAMA!"_

 _"Hello there, little Kat" The Evil Queen cooed; peppering the little girl's cheeks with kisses, while simultaneously stooping to scoop her up into her arms "What have you been up to, today?"_

 _"Playing!"_

 _"Playing? Playing with what?"_

 _In response to the Queen's gentle inquiry, the little girl wriggled against her hold until she consented to place her upon the stone floor of her bedchamber once again; and watched as she padded back towards her bed to retrieve the object that appeared to have fascinated her so thoroughly before Regina's arrival. It was a small wooden horse; the detail intricate, to say the least—and as she took the object from her daughter's hand, Regina felt a small jolt of recognition; the end result forcing her to do all within her power to maintain an expression of neutral curiosity while she spoke._

 _"Who made this for you, dear?"_

 _"Geppetto did."_

 _"Geppetto" Regina repeated; closing her eyes for the briefest of moments so as to permit herself time to recollect her thoughts, before opening them once more, and smiling down at the toddler with round brown eyes that were fervently fixed upon her own features "Well that was awfully—nice of him."_

 _"Isn't it pretty, Mama?" Katarina inquired; bouncing about on the balls of her feet, and reaching eagerly for the horse as she did so. She had acquired the trinket during one of her mother's visits to the village in which the aforementioned Geppetto lived; after she had the occasion to wander into his shop while the Queen was otherwise occupied._

 _He had given it to her out of kindness; and had seemed to happily entertain her until Regina had found her, and hurried her away…_

 _"I suppose it is" The Queen finally admitted; eyeing the horse for one final moment, before she opted for handing it down to her daughter, and moved away to glance out the window beside Katarina's bed "Though like I told you before, you need to stay close to me at all times; and not go wandering off unannounced. Now, more than ever—"_

 _"But why, Mama?"_

 _"Because, my dear" Regina began; glancing down at two of the guards that were standing sentry outside the palace gates below the room they occupied, and assuring herself that they were, at least for the moment, doing their jobs, before going on "Anyone that wants to get at me will be only too likely to come for you to do so."_

 _She knew very well that, in spite of her own power, Katarina, as yet, had none; and was therefore very vulnerable to the machinations of her enemies…_

…

 **Hello again, dearies! And welcome to yet another (admittedly unexpected) new chapter! I can't honestly say where this little guy came from; particularly as I had originally intended to spend the final evening of my vacation just reading and watching TV. But as I seemed unable to stop writing it, I figured what was the harm in posting—so I hope that everyone enjoys what they found! I know I didn't get very far in the whole finding David thing; but I just couldn't help but delve more into the past, pre-Curse. Hopefully that is at least somewhat enjoyable! :D**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to anyone and everyone that has taken the time to review this story from the beginning! I honestly cannot say where I would be without all of the wonderful support; and I truly do hope that everyone continues to enjoy the story as it goes along! Of course, special thanks go out to SeraphineWhist, Christmas95, blackcat711, and Demona Evernight for your reviews! I truly do appreciate your comments; and cannot wait to hear what everyone thinks of this chapter!**

 **Until next time?**

 **MJR**


	12. Resurrection

(Storybrooke, present-day)

"Katarina—" Regina called; sure footsteps carrying her to the bottom of the stairs in the foyer, as she simultaneously waited for the tell-tale signs of her daughter moving to answer her call "Katarina, I need to talk to you."

"What is it, Mom?" The young woman in question inquired; thumping down the stairs towards where Regina stood in a way that was so reminiscent of how she used to do the exact same thing when she was a little girl that it provoked a slight smile from her mother in response before she spoke.

"You changed your clothes—"

"Yeah. I'm meeting Emma and Mary Margaret for dinner."

"I see" Regina acknowledged; crossing both arms over her chest, and leaning her hip against the banister as Katarina came to a stop on the step just above her "Why would that be?"

"Is it a bad thing to want to welcome someone new?"

"No—no it's not" The mayor confirmed; lifting a brow in open curiosity as she took in how her daughter seemed to have suddenly tensed, as though there were something more to her reasoning than a simple act of good will "Am I not allowed to be interested in your social engagements?"

"I guess."

"Katarina—"

"I know you don't like her, Mom" Kat interrupted; sidling around where Regina stood, and moving towards the hall closet so that she could grab a light jacket to accommodate the growing chill in the air as the sun began to sink below the horizon "But I think it's only fair that _someone_ give her a chance."

"And you think that someone should be you."

"Who better than the Mayor's daughter? Everyone else is probably scared to go near her, because they're afraid of getting on your bad side."

"You make it sound as though I'm the worst person in town" Regina stated; her features settling into some semblance of a frown in spite of how fervently she wished she could have maintained a neutral appearance while Kat hastened to correct her assertion as quickly as she had made it.

"I didn't mean it that way, Mom—"

"I know you didn't" Regina assured; unwinding her arms from about her chest so that she might place one hand on her daughter's shoulder to give it a squeeze "I'm—I'm sorry. I've had a long day."

"I'm sorry, too" Kat replied; managing a smile and placing her own hand atop her mother's for a moment, before shrugging out from underneath it, and shifting to don her jacket in the same motion "But you said there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"It can wait" The mayor began; clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders as she caught how Kat's brow had inevitably quirked in open question of her sudden reluctance to resume what she had intended to discuss before they had become distracted by the topic of the impending outing with Emma Swan "You have—have fun with your friends."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. We can talk about it tomorrow morning over breakfast. Granny's, on me?"

"Sounds good" Kat agreed; persuading another attempt at a smile to come to her features, while still finding herself plagued by swathes of guilt at how she had so clearly seen her mother's features fracture, for an instant, in response to her statement about Emma and her relative isolation "If I'm not back before you go to bed—"

"I'll leave the light on in the foyer" Regina finished; returning Katarina's smile with one of her own, and finding her own misgivings about her daughter's seeming affinity for troublesome sorts waylaid, at least for the time being, upon noting the sincere concern in her wide brown eyes "But I would appreciate it if you could promise me something."

"Anything."

"Be careful with Miss Swan, Katarina. My own personal feelings aside, I don't want anyone taking advantage of you."

Whether her daughter would ever see it her way, or not, Regina was not about to let Emma Swan be the reason she lost both of her children in one fell swoop…

…

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late" Kat stated; skirting around one of the waitresses that had been en-route to deliver food to a waiting table, and simultaneously shrugging the jacket off of her shoulders as she closed the distance between herself, and the table Emma and Mary Margaret had secured for their meal "Got caught up talking with Mom—"

"Did we—we haven't gotten you in trouble, have we?"

"No, not at all" Kat assured; sliding into the booth beside Mary Margaret, and giving her a gentle nudge in the side by way of teasing over her immediate concern before going on "Did you end up going back to see our patient, though?"

"I did. _We_ did" Mary Margaret replied; casting a glance towards Emma where she sat across from them in the booth, sipping idly at a glass of ice water, before returning her attention to the darker haired woman that sat beside her "Only he—he was gone."

"Gone?"

"Gone" Emma confirmed; releasing a sigh as the attention of both her companion's shifted to become fixed upon her own person, and twiddling for a moment with the straw in her glass before explaining further "We couldn't get very much out of Dr. Whale, though, because your mom was all over him before we even got there."

"Wait—wait, my _mom_ was there?" Kat repeated; accepting the glass of water that had been handed to her by the same waitress she had nearly run over upon her arrival, and freezing in the middle of the act of placing it upon the table before her in light of her surprise "She never mentioned that."

"I kind of doubt she would" Mary Margaret supplied; frowning just a bit as she regarded Katarina's expression of mixed astonishment and slight disappointment, and placing a hand upon her arm by way of providing what comfort she could in light of that realization "Something tells me she probably doesn't want you anywhere close to getting involved in this."

"But why? Why would she care, unless—"

"Unless she's got something to hide."

Startled by the complete confidence that rested behind Emma's interjection, Kat remained silent for a moment; a faint, twisting sense of unease taking root in her gut, and causing her to place one hand instinctively upon her abdomen as a result. She ought to have seen it—she knew that as easily as she knew her name; particularly with how Regina had seemed at least slightly out of sorts just before she had left. She ought to have recognized that her mother was hiding something; and pressed for her to talk, instead of persisting in the act of hurrying out of the door toward her own errands. But she hadn't—she hadn't, and now she was kicking herself for her own inaction.

"Damn it" She hissed; finally managing to redirect her gaze towards the two women who shared the booth with her, and exhaling slowly in hopes of better corralling her thoughts before going on "She probably does. Emma's right."

"Kat, it isn't your fault—"

"Mary Margaret's right. It's not" Emma agreed; aware of the apparent guilt that her newfound acquaintance was so obviously feeling, and frowning slightly in response "But the story she gave about how the guy ended up hospitalized in the first place got me thinking."

"Thinking what?"

"That maybe your mom knows more than she's letting on about who he is."

"But why— _why_ would she lie about something like that?" Kat mused; dragging a hand through dark hair, and leaning back against the seat she occupied with yet another sigh escaping her as she did so "It doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't. Which is why I'm going to look into things a bit more as soon as Graham calls—"

As though the statement prompted the event to ensue of its own accord, the trio jumped in unison as the sharp chirping of the phone in question effectively cut off all further hope of conversation, at least for the moment; and required both Kat, and Mary Margaret to watch on in silence as their blonde companion took the call.

"Swan—yeah—okay, we'll be right there."

"We'll be right where?" Kat inquired; sharing a glance of startled skepticism with Mary Margaret, before turning so that she could face Emma more directly, and lifting a brow in preparation to wait for the blonde's reply.

"Graham thinks he has a lead on where our John Doe may have taken himself after disappearing from the hospital."

"Oh?"

"He's asked me to meet him at the edge of the forest" Emma elaborated; a slight sense of amusement provoking a smile as she caught on to how both her companions were eyeing her as though chomping at the bit to be invited along.

"Don't worry; I'm sure he won't mind if I bring a few stragglers—"

Something told Emma they would need all the help they could get in order to find the missing patient in time…

…

"Miss Mills—" The sheriff began; startled by the young woman's appearance beside Emma Swan, and hardly passing a glance towards the third companion—Mary Margaret Blanchard—as he swallowed past his surprise, and pressed on "I hardly expected to see you here as well."

"Figured I'd lend a hand, if I could" Kat supplied; returning Graham's searching expression with one of her own, and finding herself pleased that he appeared to back down just a little in response "And no, my mother doesn't know I'm here."

"I wasn't going to ask."

"You didn't have to. I can tell you were thinking it already."

Unable to restrain the soft chuckle that left him in response to the ever-present manner Katarina held about her, as though she truly could sense a person's motivations from just a look at their expression, Graham shook his head minutely, before turning his attention towards Emma; aware of how the blonde was watching the exchange between himself, and the mayor's daughter with no short supply of her own curiosity. Already, she had impressed him with a shrewd sense of capable observation; although he would be the first to admit that sometimes that very same capableness had caused her to come across as a little harsh. But of course, just as the thought had returned to his mind, Graham found that the woman in question had moved to speak on his behalf; her eagerness to get things moving in a more productive direction showing through the way she seemed unable to stand entirely still in the face of the direction their initial dialogue had taken.

"Psychic mind-reading capabilities aside, do you think we could maybe talk about this _while_ we search?"

"Sure thing."

Moving to follow after Graham and Emma, who had fallen into step beside one another as though it was instinct, Kat shared a knowing glance with Mary Margaret as the school teacher hurried to keep in step; the obvious way the sheriff seemed to keep darting glances towards his blonde companion, before darting them back to the overgrown path at his feet for fear of her catching him provoking a light snort of amusement as she followed along behind. Of course, she was not blind to how he had, at least up until now, been spending a great deal of time in the company of her mother; though were she ever directly confronted by Regina about such knowledge, she would deny it until she drew her dying breath. But something about the way Graham looked at Emma was different. Different in a way that made her shake her head in a combination of both exasperation and amusement before she turned to glance at Mary Margaret in an attempt at breaking the silence that threatened to expose her inner thoughts.

"Earlier—when—when you said my mom wouldn't want me to be involved in—whatever this is" She began; clearing her throat, and hanging back just a bit so that Emma and Graham could move ahead of them before she risked saying anything further "Why exactly do you think she wouldn't?"

"Well, I know you're aware of how she doesn't trust Emma" Mary Margaret stated; shifting her shoulders just a bit as though the act of explaining what it was she had been thinking were causing some sort of a strain, and folding both arms across her chest against a sudden chilly gust of wind before elaborating further "And if you couple that with how she really doesn't like me either, I'm sure you can see her reluctance to have you involved with either one of us."

"Why the hell doesn't she like _you_?"

"No idea. But she doesn't, and—"

"And she probably thinks the two of you would be terrible influences on me if I spend too much time in your company" Kat supplied; laughing a bit in spite of the apparent seriousness that rested upon her companion's features, and shaking her head while she pulled her own jacket tighter about her shoulders "Well for what it's worth, I'm willing to be—influenced—"

As she spoke, her steps trailed off in exact time with her words; her eyes catching on to something that rested upon a nearby leaf, and shimmered in the tiny sliver of moonlight that had managed to wind itself through the branches overhead. Stooping to get a better look, and extending a hand to gesture for Mary Margaret to keep back so as to avoid interfering with the meager light, Kat found that her stomach had suddenly seemed to jump; coming to rest somewhere at the center of her chest, while the taste of bile made itself known at the back of her throat. As quickly as she had bent down to take a look, she was recoiling; nearly bumping into Mary Margaret as she did so—and, in light of the shock she felt as the suspicion that she knew _exactly_ what the substance was made itself apparent in her mind, she hardly felt the gentle pressure of a hand placed upon either of her shoulders, her eyes widening as she shook herself just in time to register the schoolteacher's frantic questioning in the wake of her unanticipated reaction.

"Kat—Kat, what is it?"

"Blood."

There was definitely blood on the leaf; and Kat had the unsettling feeling that it belonged to their John Doe…

…

In spite of Kat's reassurance, albeit not expressly stated, that she did not have to wait up for her return, Regina was not entirely surprised that her subconscious seemed very reluctant to oblige…

She had not even bothered to change out of her working clothes; her heels clicking against the linoleum of the foyer for what felt like the thousandth time as she paced away from the window beside the door after discerning that there was no more sign of her daughter than there had been twenty minutes ago. Regardless of how hastily she had attempted to pass off her reaction to Katarina's eagerness to partake in whatever it was that Emma and Mary Margaret were doing, it would have been a lie to pretend that such an effort had been in any way sincere; the rush of anger that had so nearly overwhelmed her when she had first been informed of her daughter's intentions renewing itself as she strode purposefully towards the living room once again, and took the liberty of pouring herself a glass of the amber-colored liquor in the decanter by the sofa. Of course she hated the very idea of Katarina having anything to do with either of them; particularly as she knew very well that if she had any inkling of who they truly were, her daughter would be only too likely to side with them in their feelings against her—and that was a thing she simply could not afford.

But of course, she might not even have to consider such a thing as a threat; particularly if Emma herself persisted in her own stubborn disbelief…

Grinning slightly to herself, and downing the liquor in her glass in one fluid motion, Regina replaced the glass upon the tray it had come from; a sigh of what might have amounted to relief leaving her as she turned away from said tray, and opted to walk around the sofa so that she might take a seat, rather than return to the door to glance out the window yet again. She had become all too aware that she would have to trust Katarina, not only to refrain from believing what Henry suspected at face value, but also to refrain from acting as recklessly as she knew the schoolteacher and the Swan woman were like to do. But even in spite of that awareness, she was not entirely able to shake the apprehension she felt that something was about to come crashing down around her; her need to assure herself, on some level, that at least one of her children was still nearby prompting her to call out for her son even as she brought one leg up to cross atop the other, and leaned back against the sofa.

"Henry—Henry, come down here for a moment, please."

Nothing but silence met her request; and not for the first time since Katarina's own departure, Regina was forced to come to terms with the growing sense of dread that had been haunting her ever since Emma Swan's arrival. Instinct, or perhaps something even stronger, prompted her to rise from the sofa almost as quickly as she had sat down; and although she halfway suspected it was foolish, she hurried towards the foyer, and took the stairs to Henry's room two at a time.

Of course once she flung open his door, she was forced to realize that her suspicion had, in fact, been correct. Henry was not there. And although she was loathe to admit it to herself, in her present state of mind, Regina was all too sure she knew _exactly_ where he had gone.

"Damn it—"

…

The appearance of the blood had only increased the franticness of their search, it seemed; something in the way it had granted Kat the ability to shut off her own revulsion at the sight reassuring, in spite of the direness of the circumstances that must have prompted its existence to begin with. She was faintly aware of Emma's presence at her side as the two of them combed the underbrush around them for any sign of the missing person—and so, when she turned around to respond in the negative to Graham's hollered inquiry as to whether they had found anything, and found herself face to face with Henry, it was not surprising that she was only capable of emitting a shriek of surprise.

"Relax, Kat, it's only me" The boy chided; grinning to beat the band at being the cause of such a shock, and dodging the half-hearted swat from his sister so that he could turn his attention towards the blonde at her side "Hey Emma!"

"Kid, what the hell are you doing here? Does your _Mom_ know you're here?"

"Nope."

"Great. We need to get you back before she finds out you're gone and comes looking" Emma began; one hand shoving through blonde curls in evidence of her combined amusement and frustration before she shook her head, and pressed on regardless of her own feelings for the kid "And when she _does_ find us, she'll kill me. And then you. And then me, again—"

"Don't forget, she'll probably kill me too" Kat interjected; a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth in spite of her concern over what their ongoing search might mean, given Henry's presence "I am responsible for you, after all."

"I know. And that means you're responsible for keeping an eye on me while we look for Prince Charming."

"Henry—"

"What? That's who he is" Henry persisted; his expression of complete surety remaining unabashed, even in the face of the skeptical glances of both his sister, and his birth mother "So we gonna find him, or what?"

"We are" Kat confirmed; reaching out to draw Henry towards her, and keeping her arm rather firmly fixed about his shoulders as their unlikely grouping resettled itself towards the task at hand "But I want you to promise me one thing; or I'm taking you back to Mom's right now."

"Anything."

"If I tell you to close your eyes, or run, you'll do it. No matter what."

She would not be the one to bear the guilt for him seeing something that he was far too young to comprehend…

…

"Is he gonna be alright?"

"I don't know, kiddo—just—just don't look" Kat replied; squeezing Henry's significantly smaller frame against her side, and keeping one hand firmly placed at the back of his head to prevent him from watching the goings on with their recently located John Doe. Not long after the kid's arrival, they had located him; as though fate, or some other diabolical force wanted to throw Katarina's desire to protect him in her face. And although she was, of course, worried for the man, and fervently hoping that Mary Margaret's attempts at resuscitating him would prove successful, her primary desire, in that moment, was that she had trusted her gut when Henry had first arrived, and taken him home that instant.

God, but Regina was going to kill her…

Ducking her head down in response to how Henry's arms seemed to have tightened around her middle, Kat returned the squeeze; instinct prompting her to stoop down just a bit farther so that she could place a kiss against his hair. She could feel him trembling, while she held him; though being the stubborn little boy he was, it was apparent that he was doing his best to hide that very fact. And although some small part of her still wanted to simply turn away and take him home, it was as though something stronger, and perhaps a bit more sinister had rooted her to the spot.

She had to know that the man would be alright.

As though the thought had prompted her to look towards where Mary Margaret was still stooped over the man, in spite of how the sight still turned her stomach with apprehension and fear, Katarina swallowed back the bile that had once again threatened to rise in her throat; her heart jumping as she realized that the schoolteacher had abandoned her resuscitative efforts in favor of pressing her lips against the stranger's with something akin to fervor. Her own inner turmoil having been so effectively pressed aside, at least for the moment, in the wake of such a thing, Kat was able to do nothing save for continue watching; though some part of her knew that it ought to have been a private affair. But then again, granting the scene its due in privacy would have implied that there was some connection between Mary Margaret, and the man she had been tending to—

Thus granting Henry's fervent claim some credence, after all.

Before her wayward thoughts could take her any further down _that_ particular path, however, Katarina found her attention once again distracted; this time by the sound of a strangled mixture of choking and desperate inhalations that could only mean one thing—their John Doe had come to, and they would have to return him to the hospital—a situation for which she was profoundly grateful; in spite of how it simultaneously meant that she would be forced to pay the price, so far as her mother was concerned.

The relief and excitement upon Henry's face as he became aware of the slackening of her hold on his shoulders, and used that as leave to turn and look at the scene himself would forever be worth incurring Regina's wrath…

…

 **Hello there, my dearies! And welcome to a brand new (albeit slightly delayed) new chapter! I am so very sorry for that delay, of course, and I have nothing to really use as an explanation save for an unexpected new addiction to 'Black Sails.' Oops? That addiction notwithstanding, though, I do hope everyone can find it in their hearts to forgive me; because I am by no means through with this story!**

 **With this chapter in particular, I wanted to show Kat as taking a larger role in the start of everything as it happens in the show; because my idea for her involvement in the breaking of the Curse itself seems, at least to me, to make more sense with her taking part earlier on. That said, I know this chapter itself may seem like a repetition of what we already know went down…but I do hope that doesn't make it boring; because I promise, I have a plan!**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you for your ongoing support, and your patience with my semi-sporadic updates! I truly do appreciate your time and your wonderful feedback; and I can only hope that you will let me know what you think of this chapter as well!**

 **Until next time?**

 **MJR**


	13. Trouble Brewing

(Storybrooke, present-day)

"On a scale of one, to ten, how bad is this gonna be?" Henry mused; shifting to peer up at Kat where she stood beside him, with an arm still firmly looped around his shoulder, while Regina, for the moment, remained more thoroughly occupied with the readmission of their John Doe into the hospital proper "Once she's not super concerned for him, I mean."

"How bad are we going to hear it, later on? I'd say it's actually more like a twenty-seven" Kat replied; squeezing Henry's shoulder in a half-embrace, and looking down at him to meet his upturned gaze "You, at least, are probably grounded for the rest of your life."

"And you?"

"I'm sure Mom will think of something."

"Probably something involving you never seeing Emma again—"

"Probably so" Kat acknowledged; grinning faintly in spite of the reality of the unpleasant situation that both she and Henry had come to find themselves in "Though I'm not exactly sure how she'd manage to implement that little rule with any success."

"You're not going to listen to her?" Henry inquired; renewed eagerness heavily apparent in his voice as he simultaneously pulled away from his sister, and bounced on the soles of his feet while awaiting her reply.

A reply that was more encouraging by far than the rather stern expression that Regina had directed their way through the glass separating them from the room their John Doe had been taken to…

"Of course I'm not, kiddo. Since when have I ever actually done what was probably good for me?"

…

"Would you mind telling me exactly _what_ the hell you were thinking?" Regina demanded; shutting the front door behind their rather sullen trio with perhaps more force than was necessary, before whirling on her daughter and son with an expression that ought to have stalled the both of them in their tracks "Running off into the forest at night—"

"Mom, it's not as though we were actually in any danger" Kat protested; aware that her words appeared to have absolutely no effect on her mother's demeanor, and choosing to press on regardless, as much for Henry's sake as for her own "Graham was with us the whole time, and Emma and Mary Margaret were there, too."

"Yes, Katarina, because I would be one hundred percent more comfortable knowing you were with two of the people I trust the least in this town."

"But you trust Graham. Right?"

"Damn it, Katarina, that isn't the point!"

"Then what is, Mom?" Kat pressed; her attention briefly distracted by Henry's abrupt retreat up the stairs to his room, until she was forced back to the present by the near occurrence of her mother's immediate attempt to go after him "Come on, let him go—"

"He is in every bit as much trouble as you are, young lady—"

"But he shouldn't be. I—I took him along on purpose."

"You what?"

"I brought him along from the beginning" Kat began; fervently hoping her hastily constructed attempt at a lie would prove successful, in spite of the rather well-known ability her mother had for rooting out non-truths without expending any effort at all "So really, if you're looking for someone to blame, it's just me."

"Then _you_ are going to tell me what it was that your little rescue squad thought they were doing."

"We were trying to find someone before anything bad happened to them. Since when was that a bad thing?"

"Since it was never your place to do it to begin with!" Regina exclaimed; instinct prompting her to place both hands upon her hips, though some part of her knew that her daughter was far beyond the age of being deterred by a stern demeanor "That's what the police are for, Katarina."

"So you expected me to what—just leave him God knows where to die?"

"I expected you to behave as I raised you, and not get involved in something that doesn't concern you!"

Pursing her lips in hopes that the meager gesture would encourage her to remain silent, in spite of the retort that wanted so very badly to break free, Katarina folded both arms across her chest; an exasperated exhalation leaving her lungs in a rush, before she overcame the initial reply she had so fiercely wanted to make, and opted for another tactic entirely.

"Mom, I—I'm sorry. I wasn't looking to get into anything that would actually hurt Henry—"

"I know you weren't, Katarina" Regina interjected; a sigh escaping her as she detected the remorse in her daughter's eyes, and almost immediately regretted the harshness of her own reactions. She needed her daughter on her side; now, more than ever. Yet, if the expression that had so temporarily taken over Kat's features were any indication, that possibility was dwindling by the second.

 _She simply could not let that happen—not with everything else that was beginning to fall apart around her…_

"I'm just—I'm glad you're both okay."

"And the man we found is, too" Kat added; frowning slightly as she tried and failed to detect any shift in her mother's expression in response to her purposeful mention of the cause of their current dissent, and releasing a sigh as all of the tension that had seemed so intent upon consuming her in the altercation with Regina left her every bit as suddenly as it had come "So really I suppose it's a win-win."

"A win-win?"

"Yep. I mean, I'm pretty sure both Henry and I are on temporary house-arrest; so not only do we know we may have saved a man's life, we get an accidental movie night out of the deal, too."

"You think I'm going to let the two of you watch movies after your little stunt today?" Regina questioned; her half-hearted attempt at remaining stern wavering in the face of the obvious jest that was apparent in Katarina's ensuing reply.

"I think you're going to let the three of _us_ watch movies" Kat corrected; a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, while she simultaneously quirked a brow at Regina as though daring her to disagree.

"I'll just get Henry, shall I?"

If anything could appease her mother, it would be the prospect of at least a temporary allegiance with both of her children that had nothing to do with strangers in town, or curses, or anything even remotely out of the ordinary…

…

"So—how was it?" Mary Margaret inquired the following morning; looking up from the book she had been reading, and leveling a gentle smile at Kat, who had just arrived with the usual order of cocoa with cinnamon "Dealing with your mother last night, I mean."

"Pretty much as I expected it would be" Kat replied; stepping back just a bit closer to the table so Ruby could get past her with a rather large tray of omelets for the booth in the back of the diner, and glancing around for a moment to ensure none of her other tables needed immediate assistance "I think I managed to win her over with an impromptu movie night, though."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"Well I suppose you could say I'm a bit surprised" Mary Margaret confessed; pursing her lips for a moment in silent thought, before gesturing for Katarina to take the seat opposite her for further discussion "I kind of thought it would've been worse."

"You aren't the only one. But I'm not entirely convinced there won't be more to come" Kat stated; taking the proffered seat gladly, but only perching on its edge on the off-chance that she gained another table—something that she thought would be rather unlikely, given the current half-empty state of the diner's patronage, though that did not stop her from wanting to appear prepared, regardless "She's not just going to forget what I did—what _any_ of us did, for that matter. More particularly, you and Emma."

"I don't think Emma and I have anything to lose in that regard. We both already know she doesn't like us, you know."

"I still haven't entirely figured out why that is..."

"Well fortunately for her, I don't think it really bothers Emma all that much."

"Do you let it bother you?"

"It's hard not to, at least for me" The schoolteacher confessed; shrugging halfheartedly in response to the quirked brow the remark earned her from her companion, and fiddling idly with the glass of cocoa she held between both hands "But you're right; something tells me Emma doesn't care what anyone thinks."

"That might be the best, given the situation."

"You mean the 'I've suddenly reappeared in my son's life, and I'm the only one in this town who seems to have the ability to stand up to its Mayor' situation?"

"That would be the one. And I, for one, think it's probably better for her that she _is_ that way" Kat supplied; rising to stand as she saw Ruby leading Archie Hopper over to a table in her section, and pausing just long enough to place a reassuring hand on Mary Margaret's shoulder by way of parting.

"It might just be that Emma Swan is far better off than any of the rest of us, with that mind-set; and we might all do better if we took a page from _her_ book."

…

 _(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)_

 _"Come now, little love, you need to come with me."_

 _"No!" The girl protested; tugging in vain at the grip the soldier had upon her wrist, and grunting in frustration when her failure to free herself prompted the familiar sting of tears in her eyes "No, I have to see him!"_

 _"Your mother wants you safe, Katarina—"The guard pressed; frowning slightly at the look of utter betrayal that had so easily clouded the young girl's features, and silently marveling at how the expression almost exactly mirrored the one he had seen upon the face of her true mother not six months prior "Going to see Rumplestiltskin is not safe."_

 _"I don't care!"_

 _"I do, dear one."_

 _"Why? Why do you care?" Katarina demanded; her brown eyes widening a fraction in surprise as she came to the realization that her arm had been relinquished, and stamping one tiny foot on the stone flooring of the hallway in an attempt at furthering her desire to do the precise opposite of what her mother, the Queen, wished "You shouldn't."_

 _"Well, little one, the fact remains that I do. Now come with me, before we both end up in a rather large bit of trouble—"_

 _"Only if you will take me to see him first."_

 _Releasing a sigh at the stubbornness that was so inherent in the young girl's behavior, the guard shook his head in open resignation; his hand extending to take Katarina's, and only remaining empty for a moment before she complied, and he felt the smallness of her own bones in his grasp. Beneath that delicacy, however, Gideon was not unaware of the steadily pulsing energy—magic, he knew—that was pulsing just beneath the surface of her skin…_

 _Whoever her mother might have been, it was well-apparent that the girl possessed a depth of power that would one day rival her father's._

 _Before such a frankly frightening notion could fully take hold of his thoughts, however, the guard forced his attention back to the little girl that was once again tugging at his hand; although this time out of a need to prompt forward motion, and not as a means of escape. She was impatient. Impulsive, even for one so young. And although he knew that such an attribute would only serve to put him in a nearly impossible position with his Queen, the guard also knew that he never truly possessed the ability to refuse Katarina anything she wanted._

 _He had promised Belle he would keep her daughter safe; and if that meant facing the wrath of the Evil Queen, and the instability of Rumplestiltskin's own motivations, then so be it…_

 _"Alright then, you. Let's go." Gideon began; squeezing Katarina's hand gently, and smiling just a bit as the gesture brought about a noticeable change for the better in her features "The quicker we get this done, the sooner your mother can kill me."_

 _"She is not going to kill you."_

 _"No? And why on earth do you think that, little one?"_

 _"She won't kill you because my Papa won't let her" Katarina replied; utter certainty evident in her tone as she broke her focus away from the hall ahead of them in favor of directing a surprisingly potent brown gaze towards her companion._

 _"He likes you, you know—because you help me see him. And no one ever kills someone he likes…"_

…...

Discovering that she had the house to herself upon returning after the close of her shift at Granny's that morning, Katarina released a sigh while simultaneously tossing her keys onto the table beside the door; instinct prompting her to toe off her shoes before she padded down the hallway and into the kitchen in search of something to eat. After being inundated, so to speak, in the heady smell of coffee and eggs with fried bacon for the past few hours, it would have been a lie to pretend that she hadn't inadvertently picked up a craving for the same—

Of course all thought of food fell rather quickly to the wayside as soon as she caught sight of the familiar book sitting on the kitchen counter…

Henry's book.

Unable to quench the sudden pang of dread that spiked through her nerves at the sight, Kat momentarily abandoned the coffee pot in favor of crossing towards the object that had so effectively garnished her attention; one hand reaching out to rest upon the page that had been left, open and in plain sight. Clearly, prior to departing for whatever her day at work entailed, her mother had been doing her own reading—a reality that rose in stark contrast to the almost immediate dismissal of anything even remotely resembling the book and its purported implications for their lives that Regina had employed ever since first learning of its existence. And that discovery, more than anything else, was what forced Kat to abandon the efforts at making breakfast at least for the moment; her eyes scanning the page that her hand rested upon, until she withdrew from that page with a gasp, as though she had just been burned.

The picture situated alongside the snippet of the story her mother had been reading looked _exactly_ like the man they had pseudo-rescued the night before…

Of course this was not the first time that she had been brought face to face with such a reality; her own initial read-through of the book Henry was so enamored with providing her with more than a few examples of the same. But still, something in the way _this_ particular photograph seemed to strike at something within her—something that she was far from being able to comprehend—forced her to take a step back towards the countertop, and the book resting upon it; her breath catching in her throat as she turned the page, and found yet another photograph depicting the man from the previous evening.

"Prince Charming. Right" She murmured; rolling her eyes, and leaning down so that she could place both elbows upon the countertop "And Mary Margaret is Snow White."

Although the remark originated from sarcastic intent, Katarina would have been a fool if she did not admit that some small part of her recognized the familiarity of the hazel eyes, and gentle smile of the woman that stood beside the so-called Prince…

"No. No, Katarina Jane Mills, you are losing it" Kat uttered; forcing herself away from the counter, and shutting the book with an audible thump, while her other hand almost instinctively rose to clasp at the pendant around her neck "Either that, or you're so hungry that it's affecting your mind—"

And now, she was talking to herself as well. Just perfect.

Shaking herself, once again, in hopes that the gesture would force her thoughts back into some semblance of normalcy, Kat turned her back on the book, and all that it provoked; her second attempt at venturing to the refrigerator for the eggs and other sundry ingredients she required going uninterrupted, at least for the time being; and granting her a brief moment's respite—

Of course, had she known exactly how short that respite would be, given that she had hardly managed to finish her omelet before the next distraction came, Katarina may have been more inclined to savor it...

Grumbling to herself as she abandoned her dirty plate and silverware in the sink, and maneuvered through the hallway, towards the front door; her expression shifting from moderate exasperation, to startled recognition as she realized the person that had unintentionally interrupted her own inner musings was none other than Emma Swan, herself.

"Hey, Kat" The blonde began; both hands shifting to come to rest in her pants' pockets, while a mildly apologetic expression took over her features, before she finished.

"I don't want to bother you, but I was wondering if you might do me a favor…"

 _So much for staying out of trouble_ …

…

 **Hello there, my dearies, and welcome to yet another new chapter! I must admit, I never expected to start writing this one so soon; particularly as I'm sure you may have noticed I appear to have gotten myself a good case of the fandom-ADD (lol). But, what with coming to the tail end of a seven day on streak at work, and looking at seven off, I opened up the computer and boom! This little guy was born! Basically, my intent here was to have a chapter that elaborated on the consequences of our team finding David Nolan/Charming, as well as to set up a sort of segway to the next story in the show's timeline (aka Cinderella! YAY!) I must confess, I'm rather eager to get to writing that part—particularly as I have the nigglings of an idea for some more Gold/Kat interaction to include!**

 **Anyway, though, before I get too carried away in my rambling, I just wanted to take a moment, like always, and thank everyone who has taken the time to read, follow, favorite, and review this story thus far! (And special thanks to SeraphineWhist, and Demona Evernight for such kind feedback!) I truly would be nowhere without your support; and I cannot wait to hear what you think of this latest installment!**

 **Until next time?**

 **MJR**


	14. Hot Pursuit

"So, this—favor" Kat began; doing what she could to keep an even tone, even as amusement mingled with surprise, and threatened to break her composure in its entirety "What actually makes you think it'll work?"

"Well it's not exactly a secret that Gold likes you" Emma replied; perching in the edge of the sofa in the den, with elbows on her knees, and one hand sifting through slightly bedraggled blond hair "Ruby figured maybe if you were to go talk to him, you'd get more answers than she or I would."

"Oh she did, did she?"

"Is she wrong?"

Brows furrowed slightly in contemplation, Katarina was forced to admit that Emma was, in fact, correct; her knowledge of the apprehension that the vast majority of the town's inhabitants held for not only her mother, but the pawnbroker as well cutting off any hope of denying the assertion that she would be better suited to question him, herself. It was a situation that she would likely never be able to explain; no matter how hard she tried. But, the fact of the matter remained that she was the only person, save Henry, who was not deathly afraid of Mister Gold—thus requiring that she put aside the tentative idea of refusal to avoid causing any more trouble between herself, and her mother, and instead squared her shoulders in what might amount to be determination before she heaved a sigh, and gave in to Emma's apparent tactic with surprising ease.

"No, she's probably not. When did you want me to go talk to him, then?"

"Well we were thinking—now? Ish?"

Laughing at the obviously reluctant expression that had taken over Emma's features, Kat stepped away from the door for just long enough to grab a light jacket; shrugging into it in what amounted to seconds, and simultaneously stepping out onto the porch and shutting the door behind her. The day had already turned slightly chilly, in spite of the brilliance of the sun that peeked out every now and again from behind a cover of clouds—and although she was still at least mildly apprehensive over what might stand to happen, should Regina return before she managed to, herself, Katarina would have been lying if she pretended that some small part of her was not thrilling at the prospect of a presumed-covert adventure; a sigh leaving her in light of her own apparent recklessness before she took off down the steps of the porch, with Emma moving beside her.

"Now it is, then. Let's go see Mister Gold."

…

"Good morning, Madam Mayor—"

"Save it, Graham. You know damn well this is about the farthest thing from a good morning" Regina spat; whirling from the window of her office that granted her a normally soothing view of the main avenue of Storybrooke, and striding across the linoleum towards the Sheriff with heels clicking in a muted echo of her aggravation "What the hell were you _thinking_?"

"What was I thinking—"

"When you let my _daughter_ and my son go running around the forest with you on your little save the world mission!"

"Regina—Madam Mayor—" Graham corrected; hastily backtracking just a bit as he caught sight of the obvious tension in his companion's shoulders, and stepped back just a bit to get some space, and her desk, between them "You and I both know that's not what last night was. And Katarina and Henry—they helped."

"They helped."

"Yes. They helped. Miss Blanchard did, too."

"Damn it, Graham, you're not even seeing the point!" The Mayor pressed; leaning forward just a bit so that she could rest her hands, palms flat on the desk between them, though her eyes remained fixed upon the Sherriff's face. Of course he could have no real idea of what the true point was—not when he was every bit as oblivious to the exact consequences of anything even remotely close to David Nolan and Mary Margaret being within five miles of each other as any other inhabitant of this town. But even so, that did not prevent her frustration from coming so close to taking control, anyway; one hand slapping against the desk, and leaving a sensation of tingling in her palm as a result, before she pushed herself into a straighter posture, and squared her shoulders with what she hoped would be a sufficient degree of determination.

"We do _not_ need to be involving civilians in police investigations!"

"Any civilians? Or just your daughter, Mary Margaret Blanchard, and Emma Swan?"

Gritting her teeth together so that she did not give in to the urge to lash back at the Sheriff with the very first retort that came to mind, Regina opted instead for exhaling rather sharply through her nose; her attempts at pushing her frustration to the side at least partially succeeding as she noted with some surprise that Graham had finally stopped looking at her like she was a time-bomb on the verge of explosion, and was now watching her with a sort of fascination that was not entirely unwelcome.

"What?" She managed; the word cracking somewhat in light of the conflicting amusement and stubborn anger that were still struggling for dominance, and causing her to remain where she was while Graham took the liberty of her immobility to step closer towards her, bit by bit "Graham—"

"Yes, Madam Mayor?" The Sheriff replied; one corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he closed the distance between them, and watched whatever anger her eyes held towards him slowly shift until it resembled something else entirely. It was true, he could not explain what this was, between them—this need to be with her in a way that was about the furthest thing he could think of from appropriate. But that fact notwithstanding, Graham was not about to put a stop to it; particularly as the feel of Regina's arms shifting to wind about his neck as her body pressed against his own was far more pleasant than the thought of getting a full day's work done…

A sensation that the Mayor herself seemed to share, as she placed her lips against Graham's own for just the briefest of moments; and then her breath was gusting warm against his skin while she whispered in his ear—

"Don't think for one _second_ that this gets you out of hot water…"

"Trust me, Madam Mayor—I don't."

…...

"And here I thought you were under house arrest" Gold quipped; pausing just long enough to pass a wary glance at the blonde that stood beside the woman he had initially addressed, and then shifting the focus of his attention to Katarina in its entirety before going on "What changed?"

"Technically, nothing. My mom doesn't really know I'm here."

"Ah. Escaping prison, are we?"

"You could call it that" Kat confirmed; smiling faintly, and turning for the moment in response to the sudden shift in the periphery of her vision that indicated Emma had moved off to feign interest in one of the baubles on a nearby shelf to give them what might amount to some privacy "But I'm not here to ask you for a hideout."

"No? Then what was it that prompted this little visit?"

"I wanted to ask you some questions about—ah—what happened this morning."

"With Miss Boyd, you mean."

"I do" Katarina supplied; brown eyes flicking to the small nick in the skin of the pawnbroker's forehead, and remaining there for a moment before she mentally shook herself back to the present, and inhaled slowly before attempting to elaborate "What exactly—what happened with all of that?"

"Miss Swan neglected to tell you?"

"I think she was sort of hoping I could get more details than she could."

"I see" Gold mused; abandoning the sheaf of inventory that he had been perusing in favor of granting more focus to the matter at hand, and noting that Katarina appeared hesitant, even in the face of the façade of focus that she did her best to present. She was so very like him in that way, although the realization of such a thing hardly mattered when she was blind to it, and what it meant for them both. The way she was haphazardly chewing her lip, though, as a direct response to her apprehension—that was all Belle.

But of course he could not think like that. Not when Belle was dead, and Katarina had no idea who she was to _him_ …

"What is it that you wanted to know?"

"Um—everything?"

"You're needy today, dearie—"

"Depending on who you ask, I could be considered needy every day of the week."

"Well fortunately for you, I seem to be rather receptive to such things today" Gold supplied; the slight quirk of the corner of his mouth making the attempt at humor known to the young woman who had, until the moment she recognized the look, clearly been half-way to presuming he had intended some kind of offense "Tell me your first question."

"What exactly did Ashley want from you?"

"Contracts."

"Contracts regarding what?" Kat pressed; folding both arms against her chest for the combined purpose of both warding off a chill, and keeping up the appearance that she was determined to have an answer, no matter what. Of course, she knew very well that she was walking a thin line, here—particularly as, no matter what the pawnbroker's personal feelings towards her might be, she was well aware that no one had ever truly challenged him before. No one had ever even considered it. But, in spite of that knowledge, something about the entire situation prompted her to remain firm in her line of questioning; her shoulders squaring just a bit in what might have amounted to defiant stubbornness as Gold replied.

"I hardly make a habit of discussing private business with just anyone, dearie—"

"Maybe you could make an exception."

Not at all surprised by the predictable determination that had taken over Katarina's features, Gold was almost tempted—almost—to give in, and tell her what she so clearly wished to know. It would have been only too simple to do exactly that; and it _would_ succeed, most likely, in ridding himself of Emma Swan's obvious suspicion. But the truth was not entirely pretty; and while he would have done anything to get Miss Swan away from his shop, he was not willing to risk Katarina's imminent departure as well…

 _He absolutely could not—would not—risk losing whatever portion of her trust he possessed_.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Mills" He began; noting with a slight tinge of regret that her expression had altered in immediate response to his denial, so that it resembled less of the open curiosity it had held moments prior, and had instead shifted into something closer towards a hardened determination, and exhaling rather slowly before going on "In my line of work, there's a fair bit of confidentiality involved."

"I see."

"Katarina—"

"No, it's okay" The young woman cut in; taking a step back from the pawnbroker, and turning to glance at where Emma was busy making it appear as though she was investigating a small wooden object that looked very much like a chess piece "I think we—we have everything we need to know."

That seemed to be enough to alert Emma herself to the rather abrupt necessity that Kat was feeling to _leave_ ; something in the uneasiness that must have been evident in her expression prompting the blonde to replace the piece she had been holding on the countertop where it belonged, and head back towards the door that led from the interior of the shop onto the main street with little to no hesitation at all. For her own part, Katarina was more than content to follow; the thing that had been niggling at the back of her mind filling her with far more suspicion than she was comfortable for exactly what it was that Gold was so reluctant to disclose. For all of his attempts at camaraderie, it was abundantly clear that she had touched a nerve—and although a part of her didn't want to heed the call that came after her as she moved to follow her newfound companion, Katarina forced her steps to slow just long enough so that she might turn back and avoid the appearance of being rude.

"Miss Mills?"

"Yes?"

"Do be careful if you intend to go looking for Miss Boyd. You may find something that you would rather have never known—"

…

"I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised he wouldn't tell you anything" Emma noted; steering the yellow bug she had driven to Storybrooke down the mostly empty street, and breaking her attention away from the road for just a moment to spare a glance for her companion, who was seated resolutely with arms crossed over her chest, and eyes fixed at the scenery of the store fronts that were passing by "And _you_ seem more than a little upset by it."

"I'm trying like hell not to be" Katarina replied; exhaling in a huff, and frowning at the small puff of steam that appeared on the inside of the car's window as a result of the act, before shifting so that she might face Emma more directly "I _shouldn't_ be."

"Well the two of you are friends—"

"Yeah, apparently not so much."

"Is it that unusual for him to keep secrets?" Emma mused; lifting a brow in Kat's direction, before returning her attention toward the road, and navigating them around a car trying to parallel park with some care before inquiring further "From everything I've heard, he's kind of well-known for leaving everyone else in the dark."

"I guess I just didn't think that rule applied to _me_ " Kat admitted; biting down on her lower lip for a moment in hopes of waylaying the embarrassment that came about as a result of her confession, silly as it was. What reason _would_ Gold have to tell her every last thing he did, and the reason behind it?

What reason did she have to care so much that he had not?

Shaking herself before she might become too distracted by such a line of thought, however, Katarina withdrew her arms from the semi-cage they had formed around her midsection; her palms coming to rest flat against her thighs as she resettled her attention at the passing shops, and cleared her throat as a means of preparing for further conversation.

"It's silly, I know."

"No—no, it's not" Emma countered; shifting her grip just a fraction of an inch on the steering wheel, and realizing that some of the tension seemed to have gone out of her companion's posture in response to her words with a small hint at a smile "You expect people you trust to do the same for you. That's only natural."

"And sometimes you learn you were wrong to trust them to begin with."

Something in the nature of that remark prompted Emma to remain silent, at least for the moment; her attention once again returning to the road before them in lieu of any further distraction. She was very much aware of exactly what it was her newfound acquaintance—dare she say, friend?—was feeling; having felt it many a time before, herself. And in spite of the obvious discomfort that it had so clearly given Katarina, to be forced to acknowledge that her relationship with the pawnbroker was perhaps not as it had seemed, Emma was also aware of a lingering sense of relief on the behalf of the young woman who sat beside her; a sigh escaping from between slightly parted lips as she continued to drive them back towards Granny's diner, for another conversation with Ruby.

 _Perhaps this would be a means for Kat to better-guard herself—to keep her from getting hurt_ …

…

 _(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)_

 _Of all the moments Gideon had come to curse his life, this would have to be at the top of the list…_

 _By some miracle of persuasion and stubborn refusal to see good sense, Katarina had finagled him into escorting her to the dungeon that held her father captive; and was now choosing to hang back against the wall as far from the bars of the imp's cage as he could get, in hopes of avoiding further notice. He would have been blind, had he missed the way Rumplestiltskin's eyes had rooted themselves upon him, as though determining whether or not to incinerate him on the spot for daring to come within a hairsbreadth of his daughter—but, having apparently decided that Gideon was not, in fact, a threat, he had redirected all of his attention to the four year old that was hastily shoving a hand through the bars to grab his own, leaving the Queen's soldier at ease to pretend he did not exist._

 _That leisure had, of course, granted him time to listen in on the hushed conversation between father and daughter; his eyes widening just a bit as he realized that it was very much a conversation one would expect to hear in such a circumstance—_

 _How strange._

 _Casting that thought to the side as quickly as it had come, however, Gideon redirected his attention to the faint chink of light that could be seen spilling through a crack in the stone wall opposite where he stood; his heart doing a funny little lurch within the cage of his chest as he realized that the sun had already begun to set. It was only a matter of time, now—only a matter of time before the Queen enacted her curse, and everything they had ever known was taken from them in the blink of an eye. And, although he had no idea how the event would come about, the apprehension coiling at the base of his spine dictated that he ought to get Katarina back to the safety of her own chambers before too much time had passed; a desire to avoid irking the Queen serving as the only thing that could have persuaded him to move closer to Rumplestiltskin's cell—close enough to place a gentle hand upon Katarina's shoulder before he spoke softly in her hear._

 _"Come now, little one. Time to go."_

 _"No! You haven't given me any time—"_

 _"That is because there is no time, dearest" Gideon replied; dropping his hand to latch upon Katarina's own, and not missing the manner in which the caged man seemed to have tensed, as though preparing for the offensive, should the need arise "Your mother made me promise to get you to safety."_

 _"I am safe. I am safe, with Papa."_

 _"No, little love, you are not."_

 _"And who are you to determine that, I wonder?"_

 _Brought up short by the unexpected reply, Gideon looked up from the diminutive figure of his young charge, and straight into the eyes of the man that well over the majority of his people had come to fear. Where before, the soldier had caught glimpses, however brief, of something akin to tenderness, at least where Katarina was concerned, now there was only mistrust, and blatant hostility—and, aware of the exact danger that such a thing posed to him, Gideon drew himself up to his full height; forcing himself to hold the other man's gaze with all the surety he possessed while he replied._

 _"A soldier in Her Majesty's army. And the man tasked with keeping Katarina safe."_

 _"You find yourself up for the task, do you?" The imp questioned; keeping his attention fixed upon the man before him, though he was very well aware of how Katarina was still clutching at his hand, and giving it the occasional tug as she determined he was not entirely focused upon her "I daresay you are not."_

 _"Why not?"_

 _"Because you work for her."_

 _The amount of scorn that resided behind such a statement was apparent, as was the manner in which Rumplestiltskin's mouth had drawn up in what might amount to a soundless snarl; but even that was not quite enough to prevent Gideon from reattaching his hand to Katarina's own, and giving it a small squeeze before he spoke._

 _"I am not doing this for her."_

 _"Then who are you doing it for, dearie? Do you take me to be a fool?"_

 _"I take you for a man who cannot protect your daughter from what is coming from the inside of a cell."_

 _"How dare you—"_

 _Before the apparent ire in the imp's gaze could be translated into open threat, as it was so clearly intended, however, all three in the dungeon soon found their attention diverted elsewhere; the rending crack of stone splitting apart effectively drowning all other sensation, or thought. The sound, it seemed, had come from the roof; as already, bits and pieces of stone were crumbling away from the root of the solitary brazier that hung from the ceiling at the center of the room—_

 _The ceiling was going to cave in…_

 _"Katarina, we must go" Gideon pressed; abandoning all pretense, and tugging back on the girl's hand, thus breaking her hold upon the man in the cell in one effective motion. Urgency prompted him to simply scoop her up in his arms; the instinctive desire to run until he had succeeded in ensuring her safety rising up to drown out all other needs, even in the face of the growing anger in her father's features. Belatedly, Gideon acknowledged that she was squirming against him—trying with all her might to break free, and run back to her father in spite of the fear that was so readily apparent upon her own features. Were he aware of anything save the fervent desire to escape the Queen's wrath, he may have noticed the tell-tale signs of what was to come. He might have been able to convince himself to slow down, if only for a moment; so that Katarina could come to terms with what she must so clearly see as abandoning her father, and determine for herself that it was the best course of action. But he could not do that. He simply could not…_

 _And although some part of him was well aware of how he may have deserved such a thing, Gideon still could not prevent the cry of utter shock from escaping him as Katarina finally succeeded in yanking her hand away from his own; white hot pain singing up his arm as a searing light came from the center of her palm in time with her ragged cry of protest._

 _"Get away from me!"_

 _Whatever came after that, Gideon could not tell; as the pain in his arm caused his vision to falter for a few moments, before it darkened entirely, and he knew no more._

…

(Storybrooke, present-day)

Kat had hardly noticed exactly how long she had been in transit with Emma to Ashley's boyfriend's home; her attention resolutely fixated on the goings-on outside the passenger side window without really seeing them for the entirety of their commute. Though she had taken Emma's attempt at reassurance to heart, something within her seemed rather more than a little determined to force her to continue fixating upon Mister Gold's apparent secret-keeping—and that fixation had lulled her into such a state of dissonance that the sound of Emma's car door slamming shut after she put the bug in park in the driveway caused her to jump; a startled oath passing through her lips in a muted whisper before she moved to do the same.

"Keep it together, Mills…"

"What?"

"Nothing" Kat replied; waving a hand in an idle gesture in hopes of avoiding prolonged exposure to Emma's rather skeptical expression in light of her unexpected statement, and managing at least some semblance of a smile as she hurried to catch up so they might arrive at the front door in unison "What's this guy's name again?"

"Sean Herman."

"And he's the—the father?"

"According to Ruby, yeah."

"Do you really think he'll help us find her?"

"No idea" Emma shrugged; only turning from Kat in order to extend a hand and knock on the door. In truth, she had about as much hope that the absentee father-to-be would be of any assistance to them as her companion appeared to have—but if they really wanted any chance of finding Ashley before she got herself into some serious trouble, that lack of faith would just have to wait.

 _Emma's own past notwithstanding, it was imperative that they found Ashley, and soon; or she had no doubt Gold would make due on his threat to go to the police_ …

…

 **My dearies, hello! And welcome to yet another new chapter! I have to say, this one sort of got away from me, because I had planned to include a bit more of the 'Price of Gold' episode than you found, here. But regardless, I do hope you enjoy my little embellishments; because I just couldn't help myself. And speaking of embellishments, and add-ons, I have a question to put to you, my lovely readers—namely centering around our dear August, and his impending arrival.**

 **I know he doesn't show up in canon for a few more episodes, yet; and I really don't want to step on any toes in regards to the natural progression of the show. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it might not be fun to bring him in a bit earlier (not just as a little boy in the flashbacks); thus giving him more time to interact with Kat in the process. My theory is, if he's around earlier, it might lend a more realistic progression of their relationship as it pertains to how they end up falling for each other…but I won't do that if you all think it would be an awful idea.**

 **As always, my thanks go out to each and every one of you for taking the time to read, follow, favorite, and review this little guy! I would be nowhere without your kind feedback; and I absolutely cannot wait to hear what you think, both of the chapter, and of my little question in this A/N!**

 **Until next time, loves…**

 **MJR**


	15. Trust Fractured

(Storybrooke, present-day)

"Well that went about as I expected it to" Emma groaned; dragging a hand through blonde hair, and slumping back against the driver's seat for a moment before turning towards Katarina, who had just shut the passenger door, and frowning a bit as she realized that her companion appeared to be anywhere other than in the present "You okay?"

"Hmm?" Kat murmured; shaking herself minutely, and tucking a loose lock of hair behind an ear to garner a few extra seconds to think "Yeah, I—I'm fine."

"Why am I not convinced?"

"Because you're naturally suspicious—"

Pleased that the blonde had taken her remark as what it was, and not as an insult, Katarina managed a faint smile; the breath that she had not even been aware she had been holding finally escaping, and giving her leave to relax her shoulders just a bit in consequence. Though she was very much reluctant to admit it, she had been on edge ever since leaving Gold's shop; and the rather significant road block that Sean Herman's father had presented them both just now had only added to that feeling.

 _Something_ was off, here. She just had to figure out what that something was.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I thought the dad was an ass, too. I mean, who sells their own grandchild, just to prevent a scandal?" Emma supplied; straightening just a bit to turn the key in the ignition, and eliciting a soft rumble from the vehicle in response "But something tells me that's not what has you so preoccupied."

"I'd rather it was. That would be better than not _knowing_."

"I think you _do_ know. You're upset about how everything we just learned implicates Gold."

"How does it implicate Mister Gold?"

In response to the unexpected addition to their conversation, both Kat and Emma jumped; the smile that spread across their intruder's features in response to that reality prompting both of them to share a glance, before Emma took the liberty of vocalizing what they were both likely already thinking.

"What the hell, kid? You're supposed to be at home!"

"And you're supposed to be better at knowing where your kid is. I've been in the back seat since you left Ruby at Granny's."

"My God—your Mom is gonna kill me" Emma moaned; tightening her hold on the steering wheel, and reversing out of the driveway of the Hermans' home with perhaps more speed than was truly necessary "She's _actually_ going to kill me, this time."

"No she's not. Kat won't let her" Henry proposed; ignoring his sister's skeptical brow, and instead choosing to lean forward to get closer "And besides, that's not what matters right now."

"Oh, it's not?"

"Nope. We need to find Ashley before she can leave Storybrooke."

"Or I could just take you back home; and then Kat and I can get back to exactly that before your Mom knows anything about it" Emma cut in; successfully navigating a U-turn and setting the course that would lead them back towards town "That seems like a good idea to me."

"If you do that, you'll never find Ashley in time. She _can't_ leave Storybrooke!"

"Kid, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about what you already know is true!" Henry exclaimed; shifting just a bit so that he could level a rather determined stare towards Katarina, before he was starting in on her as well "When you tried to leave to find me, you got in that accident."

"Yeah, kiddo, I did. But that was hardly because I tried to leave—"

"How do you know?"

"Because I know for a fact that there is no possible way something supernatural, or curse related, or anything else caused my car to malfunction" Katarina exclaimed; risking a glance at Emma, and noting with some concern that the blonde appeared to be forcing her attention towards the road almost exclusively, as though doing anything else would lead to immediate harm. She knew, of course, that her companion was still coming to terms with Henry's appearance in her life in the first place—that adding the supposed curse on top of that was only likely to make matters worse. And, in an effort to deter Henry from inadvertently provoking just such an event, at least in the present, Kat settled for unbuckling her seatbelt and turning just a bit so that she could see Henry more directly; her arms coming to cross against her chest before she spoke once more.

"On another note, Henry, where, exactly, does our Mom think you are?"

"Playing wack-a-mole."

"And she's got that council meeting?"

"Until five o'clock" Henry chirped; grinning faintly as he began to catch on to Katarina's apparent shift in reasoning, and once again redirecting his attention towards Emma before going on "Which means she won't have any clue I'm not at home until at least five-oh-five."

"Well he does have a point about losing time if we take him back—" Kat began; suppressing her own grin as she caught how quickly Emma had shot her a look that was a mix of exasperation and amusement, and squirming around a bit until she was comfortably seated, and buckling the seatbelt once more "But you're driving—it's your choice."

Only a moment passed between the trio in silence, while Emma appeared to at least half-consider the option placed before her; her lips thinning into a line for mere seconds, before she was exhaling through her nose, and checking in the rear-view before making the second U-turn of the afternoon.

"You two really are impossible; you know that?"

 _Although she had intended to sound stern, the blonde was well aware that her efforts had fallen short—just as she was also aware that she truly did not mind…_

…

"There—that's her car!" Henry exclaimed; pointing towards the vehicle that had been pulled over to the side of the road, with its driver's side door left wide open "I told you she couldn't leave—"

"Looks that way, kid" Emma replied; pulling over until they came to a stop just behind the vehicle in question, and turning to look at her son before going on "I'm gonna need you to stay in the car."

"What? Why?"

"Because we have absolutely no idea why she just left the car; or what we'll find, if anything" Kat supplied; unbuckling her own seatbelt, and performing a cursory scan of the surrounding forest before opening the door, and stepping out, so that she could turn and look at Henry just as Emma had not moments before "I mean it, Henry—"

"Okay. Okay, I'll stay put."

"Good."

Catching the way Emma glanced her way, with one corner of her mouth twitching, Katarina suppressed a smile of her own; looking away so that she could turn her attention towards picking her way through the sticks and bits of undergrowth that had already taken root along the side of the road. She could hear Emma, picking her way along not too far behind—but perhaps what garnered her attention even more than those sounds, or the sensation of twigs scratching at her jeans, was the sudden low groan that rose up to add to them; the effect serving to freeze Kat in place for just a moment, before she glanced back towards Emma, with a raised brow in question.

"I heard it too—"

"Do you think—" Kat began; side-stepping a rather large fallen branch, and maneuvering around the car, only to come to a dead stop as she caught sight of the fugitive they had been searching for seated upon the ground, with both hands clutched tightly to her abdomen, and a pained expression upon her features.

"My baby—it's coming—"

 _It appeared they had, in fact, found Ashley; and just in time, at that_ …

…

"Is she gonna be okay?"

"The nurse said she would be, kiddo" Kat replied; leaning over in the chair she occupied, and bumping her shoulder gently against Henry's own, while Emma seemed to be more content with pacing the floor "Besides, women have babies every day. It's not as though doctors can't handle it."

"Eew."

"Eew?" Emma chuckled; abandoning her pacing, at least for the moment, and stepping just a bit closer to where Henry and Katarina were seated "You do know that's how _you_ came to exist too, right?"

"Oh, good idea. Tell him _all_ about the birds and the bees. Mom will just _love_ that—" Kat quipped; shaking her head in open resignation at the tell-tale smirk that had taken over Emma's features, and simultaneously standing to stretch stiff muscles while the blonde replied.

"He hasn't been told yet?"

"You guys know I'm right here—"

"Of course we do, kid. That's why we're doing it."

"Eew" Henry repeated; wrinkling his nose at Emma's reply, and ducking away as Katarina reached over to ruffle the hair on top of his head "Kat, don't—"

"Miss Mills?"

"Yes?" Kat replied; straightening, and stepping around Emma so that she could address the person who had spoken more directly. The man was tall; with flyaway dark hair, and a familiarity of features that was almost haunting in its elusiveness. A glance at his name tag told her his name was Gideon—nothing that was in any way familiar, at least on the surface. But, before she could make any headway in determining if she might recall exactly what it was about the man that had caused her to fall prey to a sudden jolt of apprehension, Katarina found herself rather effectively distracted by the sound of the man's voice.

 _It sounded like she had always known it; though she could not remember ever hearing it before_ …

"Doctor Whale told me to pass along the news—your friend in there just gave birth to a healthy little girl."

"What lovely news…"

Turning to face the source of the new voice, Katarina found herself jumping slightly as she found herself face to face with none other than Mister Gold; her posture tensing just a bit in spite of her desire to avoid it. She did not _want_ to give any outward show of how what had transpired earlier had affected her—was _still_ affecting her. But it seemed that that was exactly what she had just done; particularly if the expression that had crossed the pawnbroker's features were any indication.

A suspicion that was only confirmed as Katarina was forced to hold herself in place, against the instinctive desire to pull away as the man in question stepped just a fraction of an inch closer before she spoke.

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do, dearie. Why would I not?"

"Because something tells me you see this entire ordeal as nothing more than a means to an end."

"What gives you that impression?" Gold inquired; aware of the apparent tension in Katarina's frame, and remaining where he was as a result, in spite of a desire to step closer. In truth, the manner in which she was watching him reminded him so very much of her mother; the wariness that mingled so easily with a simultaneous reluctance to be suspicious playing out across her features as familiarly as if she really were Belle, standing there before him. But as much as she bore a striking resemblance to the woman he had loved, so long ago, there was a fierceness too—a deeper suspicion and reluctance to trust that was more akin to his own persona.

And that, as much as he did not want to admit it, had given him leave to feel at least a slight concern that she, like him, would only push everyone away until she was very much alone.

"You really want an answer to that question?"

"If I did not, I would not have asked it in the first place."

"Fine" Kat managed; glancing away from the pawnbroker for just a moment, and looking instead towards where Emma was now seated beside Henry, engrossed in an inaudible conversation. The sensation that something was off about this entire ordeal had not left her; and only seemed to enhance her apprehension, as evidenced by the way the breath seemed to leave her lungs in a rush before she spoke once more "I have that impression because if it were anything else, _you_ would not have been so evasive earlier."

"Ah. So that is what this is about."

"Why would it not be?"

"Because I always imagined you to have thicker skin, dearie" Gold stated; shifting his weight ever so slightly, but hardly refusing to back down even in the face of the sharpening of Katarina's expression. Some small part of him delighted in the thought of provoking her—of proving, although she would never recognize it, that she was every bit as much like him as she was like her mother—and perhaps it was that desire alone that prompted him to step just close enough to grab for Katarina's wrist as she made to turn and walk away…

"Don't tell me I was wrong."

"What is it that you want me to say?" Katarina demanded; trying to tug her wrist free, and failing to succeed, though whether by reluctance to hurt the man who stood before her, or some other reason, she could not tell "Whatever it is that has you so interested in this baby, you didn't want to tell me—"

"Because there are certain things that you do not need to know."

"And somehow you get to just decide what I do and don't need to know."

"As it pertains to business of my own, I believe I do, yes."

"Then we really do have nothing more to say."

"Katarina— " The pawnbroker began; withdrawing his hold upon her wrist, and yet finding himself not entirely willing to watch her walk away in silence "Katarina, wait a moment—"

"For what? For you to tell me what I already heard from that baby's grandfather?"

"You know, then."

"Of course I do" Katarina confirmed; crossing both arms against her chest, and lifting a brow in open skepticism as she pressed on "I know that you coerced Ashley Boyd into a deal to get rid of her child. What I _don't_ know is what the hell you intend to do with her child once she's yours."

"And that is what you would like for me to tell you, now."

"I already know the worst of it. I see no reason for you to keep any secrets, now."

"If you believe you know the worst of it, you had best think again" Gold stated; straightening just a bit under the pretense of maintaining aloofness, though were he to be honest, he was more than a little reluctant to disclose every last detail of the present deal that had so effectively garnered his interests.

He knew she would likely refuse to have any future dealings with him in future as soon as she knew the truth…

"Why don't you try me, then? See what I know and what I don't."

"The deal was struck between myself, and Miss Boyd, Katarina. No one else."

"Then permit me to alter it" Katarina demanded; forcing herself to fix her attention upon the pawnbroker, when in reality all she wanted was some manner of escape. She had not wanted to believe it—what Sean Herman's father had alluded to, when she and Emma had confronted him regarding Ashley's disappearance what seemed like ages ago. But Gold had all but confirmed her growing suspicion, both through his elusiveness earlier, and now with the outward confession of the act itself. She had no choice _but_ to believe it. And with that reality staring her straight in the face, Katarina found she had no other alternative but the brash decision that now rested before her.

"Permit me to alter your deal."

"Oh? And by what means do you intend to do that?" Gold inquired; curiosity, for the time being, outweighing any apprehension he might hold for Katarina's opinion of him once she learned the truth, and prompting him to risk another step closer to the young woman in question before going on "I'm all ears, dearie."

"I have no idea what value a baby can hold for you" Kat began; inhaling rather sharply, and squaring her shoulder as a means of giving off the appearance of determination, and not abject fear "And you're right, I probably don't want to know. But I think whatever that baby can give you, something else could give you more."

"And what might that something be?"

"My silence" The young woman asserted; watching her companion's reaction rather closely, and seeing with some small bit of pride that, no matter how reluctant he was to show it, she had, in fact, struck a nerve "If you let that child stay with her mother, I swear I won't breathe a word to my own."

"You truly believe your mother frightens me—"

"No. But I know she can make your life far more difficult than it needs to be."

"And you would offer me the chance to avoid all of that in exchange for a child" Gold surmised; aware that behind Katarina's façade of surety, she was, in fact, not as self-assured as she sought to portray "I don't suppose you'd mind me asking why?"

"Would you truly care to hear the answer? Or is all of this more of the same game you've been playing since this morning?"

"This is not a game, Katarina. It never has been" The pawnbroker assured; glancing towards Emma and Henry himself, and releasing a small sigh before redirecting his attention towards the woman standing before him once more "Please, elaborate on your reasoning."

"My reasoning—what reasoning do I need? She's a _baby_!" Kat exclaimed; silently cursing how her voice seemed to crack mid-sentence, and yet choosing to press her case, regardless "She's a baby, and she—she—"

"She what?" Gold interjected; sensing his companion's momentary reluctance, and seeking to prompt her to step beyond it, if she would. She had, in fact, caught him off guard with the sudden proposition she had just put to him; though he had, at least until this moment, resisted in letting her see that very reality. But perhaps what had intrigued him the most, thus provoking him into entertaining further conversation with her, when had she been anyone else, he would have dismissed them almost immediately, had been the determination she possessed, even in the face of her fear.

A determination that was so very like another that he had once known, that the pawnbroker found himself taking a step back, until the expression upon Katarina's features as she finally replied rooted him to the spot.

"She deserves not to be ripped away from her parents, and forced to live without them for the rest of her life. And I am not about to watch as that happens to her. Not if I can _do_ something to stop it."

Stunned as he was by the unsettling proximity that Katarina's remark bore to the truth of her own life, Gold was entirely unable to stop her as she turned on a heel with that final word, and instead of heading back towards the companions who had come with her to the hospital, headed towards the door that would take her outside.

 _Away from him_ …

…

"You look like hell."

"Oh thank you Ruby" Katarina quipped; managing a faint laugh in spite of her rather dull mood, and downing the remainder of the tequila in the shot glass she held before going on "Just what every girl wants to hear."

"Hey, just calling them as I see them" Ruby returned; sparing a smile for her friend, before taking the empty glass, and refilling it on instinct "You found Ashley, though, right? And she got to keep her baby?"

"Yeah—yeah, she does. But in the process of seeing that she could do that, I found some things I really would rather I had not."

"Regarding?"

"Regarding why on earth she was running the risk of losing her baby in the first place."

"Ah. So you're a bit less than enamored with Mister Gold, at the moment" Ruby supplied; taking Katarina's resultant expression of utter resignation as the only confirmation she required, and handing her friend the refilled glass of tequila before leaning against the counter herself, and offering her companion a smile "Consider yourself lucky that you discovered this before you got hurt."

"Lucky? _That's_ what you'd call this?" Katarina inquired; lifting a brow in incredulity, and yet accepting the second glass of tequila gratefully in spite of that skepticism "Keep talking like that, and I'll think you've gone mad."

"Well, perhaps I wasn't referring exclusively to learning the truth about Mister Gold" Ruby countered; the smirk that tugged at the corners of her mouth provoking yet another skeptical glance from Katarina, even as she gestured towards the booth situated just behind where her friend was seated at the bar.

"It seems to me like _someone_ hasn't taken his eyes off of you since you stepped in here. And if I were you, I would go over and say hello; before someone else scoops him up first."

…

 **Well hello there, my dearies! And welcome to another new chapter! I have to confess, the ending sort of snuck up on me, but I do hope that you all like it…and, I am a bit uncertain in how I portrayed the interaction between Gold and Kat, particularly as it pertains to her reaction to his involvement with Ashley's baby. So I do look forward to hearing your thoughts on that, and the little switcheroo I took at the end…please, don't hesitate to let me know what you think!**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks goes out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to read, follow, favorite, and review this story thus far! I truly do appreciate every last one of you; and I cannot wait to hear your continued thoughts as the story goes on!**

 **Until next time, loves…**

 **MJR**


	16. Stranger

"Scoop him up?" Katarina repeated; lifting a brow in obvious amusement at Ruby's remark, and shifting on the stool she occupied to risk a glance at the man in question, only to find herself stopped in the act as Ruby latched onto her arm with a surprising amount of force "Ruby, what the—"

"You're not supposed to _look_!"

"Why not?"

"Because then he knows you're onto him" Ruby replied; her tone so very clearly indicating that Kat should have already been aware of such a thing, and causing the woman in question to emit a short laugh before she spoke.

"Right. Sorry" Kat began; shaking her head at her companion's obvious seriousness regarding the subject at hand, and leaning forward until both elbows rested upon the counter before her "So—what exactly _am_ I supposed to do?"

"Stay right where you are and look hot."

"You just said I look like hell!"

"Apparently you don't to him."

"Well isn't that encouraging."

"Kat, listen" Ruby cut in; leaning forward herself, so that she could face her friend more directly, and placing her chin on one hand before going on "You need to take another drink."

"I— _what_?"

"You need to take another drink."

"Why?" Katarina inquired; pulling back a bit as Ruby once again set about the task of pouring more tequila into her glass, and watching in astonishment until Ruby handed her the object once again "Why do I need another drink?"

"Because our mystery man is coming over here right now."

"Seriously?"

"Drink, Kat! Freak out later!"

"Right."

Forcing herself to do as instructed, if for no other reason than to calm the rather unexpected rush of nerves that had come about in direct response to Ruby's assertion, Kat downed the tequila in just a few hasty gulps; the burning sensation that the liquid caused in her throat provoking a short cough, and giving her just the barest fraction of a moment to attempt collecting her thoughts before she turned to meet her new companion head-on.

"Hey" She began; forcing a smile so that perhaps the stranger would not catch on to her sudden apprehension. In truth, the way he was looking at her, as though this was something more than simply a first encounter was unsettling; the flush that rose to her cheeks forcing her to avert her eyes for just a moment before going on.

"Was there something I could help you with?"

"Well, for starters, you could let me buy you a drink…"

…

"I hear you lost a friend today" Regina stated; securing the door to the pawn shop behind her, and turning to face its owner with a faintly satisfied smile "Your _only_ friend if I'm not mistaken."

"What has you so sure I've lost her?"

"She's not here, now is she?"

"Well I do believe she has a right to her own life—"

"And she's chosen to spend it away from you."

"For now" Gold persisted; stepping out from behind the counter, and watching as the Mayor seemed to almost recoil from his approach "What is it about our friendship that bothers you so much, I wonder?"

"You know exactly what it is that bothers me" Regina hissed; squaring her shoulders as she watched the pawnbroker persist in maintaining the illusion of indifference that she knew was a lie "She is my _daughter_."

"Miss Mills is well over the age of eighteen, Regina. She can make decisions for herself."

"That doesn't mean that I lack the right, as her mother, to protect her from a bad influence."

"You believe that bad influence to be me."

"I know it to be you" Regina accused; crossing both arms against her chest, and lifting a brow in open skepticism before going on "You want to turn her against me."

"Just as you seem determined to turn her against me" The pawnbroker countered; planting himself more securely before his would-be adversary, and resisting the urge to permit his frustration to show by mere threads "Why?"

"You really have to ask?"

"I believe I do, dearie. Why don't you just make this easier on the both of us, and tell me?"

"Because I don't want to give you the satisfaction of an easy answer."

"You certainly seem to have this all planned out—"

"When it comes to you, yes, I believe I do" Regina mocked; turning away from Gold for a moment, to attempt a rather obviously feigned interest in some of the baubles beneath the glass countertop before deigning to elaborate any further "I know better than to simply let you exist without watching your every move."

"Are you really that interested in what I do every day?" Gold mused; one corner of his mouth turning up in amusement as Regina persisted in looking away from him, and seemed determined to fix her attention on one trinket in particular—a trinket he would much rather have her ignore.

"I'm the Mayor, Mister Gold. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't care about the people in my town."

"Some might say you care too much."

"Then it wouldn't surprise you if I wanted to buy this charming little teacup from you" The Mayor began; tapping against the glass of the countertop with one fingernail, and suppressing a smile as she turned to face her adversary once again "How much would you ask for it."

"It is not for sale."

"But it _is_ on display."

"It is not for sale, Miss Mills. Move on."

"Are you this rude to all your customers, Gold?"

"Only the ones who want something that isn't theirs."

"It's just a cup—"

"Oh it's more than just a cup dearie" Gold argued; finally moving closer towards Regina, and standing just close enough that she was forced to draw back while he spoke once more.

"And if it is the only thing that holds any interest for you in this shop, then I think you had better leave. Now."

"Now."

"Now" Gold repeated; watching with some satisfaction as the Mayor only paused for a singular moment, before pushing herself away from the countertop, and turning to head toward the door. For a moment—only a moment, he thought he was free of her. Free of the temptation to cast aside the feigned ignorance he sought to portray regarding their presence here—her true identity—all of it. But just as the pawnbroker had been prepared to turn away himself and return to whatever it was he had been doing before Regina's unwanted arrival, she stopped in her tracks; turning on a heel with a sickeningly sweet smile before she spoke.

"You know, you won't always be able to order me around so easily. But seeing as you already lost one friend today, I'm going to cut you some slack" Regina goaded; not bothering to resist her satisfaction that she had so obviously touched a nerve "If you are half as intelligent as you pretend to be, don't waste it."

…

"You want to buy me a drink?" Katarina mused; abandoning the now empty glass of tequila on the counter at her side, and turning in the chair she occupied to face the newcomer a bit more directly "Am I allowed to ask why?"

"Am I not allowed to buy you that drink until you do?"

"That's a distinct possibility, yeah."

"Well in that case, I guess I'd better give you a reason" The stranger surmised; the faint smile that toyed with the corners of his mouth provoking a small flush from his companion, as she seemed to do whatever lay within her power to avoid looking directly at him "And I'd better make it a good one."

"Give me the best you've got."

In response to that statement, the stranger let a brief chuckle free; the way the laughter seemed to cause his eyes to crinkle at the corners giving Kat a faint sensation of something that was just a bit endearing. It should not have been, of course—particularly as she had never seen him before in her life; and she was not one to cozy up to strangers with seeming ease. But something about the way the man was looking at her was familiar. Almost—comforting. And in spite of everything that practically screamed at her to keep her distance, Katarina found that she was unable to do anything but stand exactly where she was; her arms coming to cross over her chest as she simultaneously slid off of the chair she occupied, and tilted her head back just a bit to get a better look at her newfound acquaintance.

"What if I just want to make a new friend?"

"You could make friends with anyone else here" Kat countered; smiling faintly as she realized that she was rather enjoying this banter, though she knew very well that she should not be "Why me?"

"Why not?" The stranger quipped; moving just a bit closer to the countertop of the bar so that he could lean casually against it with one elbow, and lifting a brow in open inquiry of Katarina's apparent doubt "Is there something about you I should know? Something I should want to avoid?"

"No."

"Then why would a perfectly sane man want to avoid a chance meeting with the Mayor's daughter?"

"Ah. So you want a tour" Kat surmised; only barely suppressing an eye-roll at the all too predictable turn her current conversation had taken, and turning back in her chair to accept the refilled glass of tequila that Ruby had at the ready "I should have guessed."

"Is a tour that far out of the ordinary?"

"It is when you're the first newcomer this town has seen since I can remember."

"Well maybe more people would pay you all a visit if their tour guide was a bit more open to new acquaintances."

"Maybe she _would_ be if said new acquaintances were a bit less—"

"Less what?" The stranger inquired; clearly trying, and failing to suppress his amusement at Kat's apparent loss for words, and simultaneously noting how a light flush seemed to have adorned her cheeks in response to his near constant observation of her reactions "I'm all ears, here."

"Shut up."

"Nice. Very open, and friendly—"

"I try" Kat acknowledged; this time not bothering to hide her laughter as she had discovered it to be nearly impossible to avoid such a thing in the presence of the only partially troublesome stranger "But if you're as new here as you pretend to be, I'm sure you have plenty of questions."

"I think I do. First and foremost, of course, is where I might find a room around here."

"Well that one's easy. You're standing in front of the girl who can get you whatever room you want."

"You?"

"No. Me" Ruby corrected; leveling a charming grin at her would-be customer, and turning a brief glance towards Kat as she realized the man seemed hardly able to tear his attention away from her friend, and that she, likewise, seemed equally as incapable of looking away from him "Would you prefer a room with a view of the square, or the street?"

"Square, I think" The stranger replied; holding Kat's gaze for just a moment longer, before turning from her, and moving to follow after Ruby as she stepped out from behind the bar, and headed toward the door that separated the diner from the hotel. Though part of him was rather eager to find a room, and a bed, he persisted in keeping his steps slow—measured; as though waiting for something that was pre-determined to occur.

Something that _did_ occur, all too predictably, as the sound of hesitant footsteps followed after him, and the woman he had just spoken to halted his progress for a moment with her sudden inquiry.

"Wait—you—how did you know I was the Mayor's daughter?"

Satisfied that the girl— _Katarina_ —had finally caught on to his intentional slip regarding who she was, the stranger never bothered to suppress the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth; his decision to pause just long enough so that he could turn, and get a glance for himself at the way her brown eyes had narrowed just a bit in suspicion, and her expression shifted once more. Though she had quite obviously grown since he had last seen her, the minute intricacies of her features seemed very much the same; particularly when it came to her stubborn determination to get to the bottom of whatever matter had presented itself to her. And although he found that quality rather endearing, the stranger resisted the pull to tell her exactly how he knew what it was that he knew; the only manner of response he gave coming in the form of another faint laugh, before he turned on a heel and followed after Ruby to see about a room.

After all, Katarina would find the answers to every question she had ever thought to ask soon enough…

…...

The next morning found Katarina seated at the dining room table with Henry; a mug of coffee in her hand, while she watched her young companion wolf down his bowl of cereal with reckless abandon. Though she had never known him to be eager to get to school, that was the only possible line of reasoning that seemed to exist for him, now; his rather uncharacteristic silence only confirming her suspicion, and causing her to smile softly as she took another sip of coffee, and continued to watch him in silence. As though he sensed her observation, however, Henry paused in mid-spoonful of the cereal he had been so fervently devouring; his eyes flicking from the bowl that rested before him, to her own curious features before he spoke.

"What?"

"Nothing" Kat replied; shifting her grip just a bit on the mug she held between both hands, and biting her lower lip for a moment to hold in her amusement over Henry's obviously doubtful expression "You in a hurry, or something?"

"Maybe."

"Would you care to elaborate on that?"

"Emma said she'd meet me at Granny's before school" Henry confessed; inhaling the last of the cereal in his bowl, and downing the milk in two huge gulps, so that he might scoot the chair he occupied away from the table, and scramble up to take his dishes over to the sink "Don't tell Mom—"

"Obviously" Kat surmised; one corner of her mouth twitching as she paused just long enough to manage another sip of coffee, before she, too, got up from her chair and followed Henry over to the sink "So you two are getting pretty close?"

"I think so. It'd be easier if I didn't have to go to school."

"Don't even think about it, kiddo. Mom would kill us both, and you know it."

"I know" Henry sighed; enacting a look that was almost morose, and breaking from it almost as quickly as he glanced up at Kat with a rather unexpected broad grin "You wanna come with me? I'm sure Emma wouldn't mind."

"I should probably stay put."

"Why?"

"Because if Mom comes home early, at least one of us should be here to come up with a cover for the other" Katarina explained; placing her mug on the countertop, and reaching for the coffee pot to refill it before going on "She knows we both usually have to fight you tooth and nail to get you up for school in the morning."

"Fair point."

"So I'll stay behind" Kat continued; smiling at Henry, and reaching over to ruffle his hair with a combination of amusement and affection, only to find herself suddenly rendered silent as the ground beneath them gave a sudden lurch before she could say anything else. Instinct prompted her to grab Henry's shoulder, then; the need to tug him towards her outweighing, at least for the moment, her own very real apprehension over the situation itself. She could hear pots and pans rattling in their cupboards, as the ground beneath them continued to shake—but as quickly as the strange shuddering had begun, it was over, it seemed; the silence that came about in the wake of it all very near to deafening as Henry tilted his head back to look up at his sister, so that he could voice the question that had been hovering on her lips since the beginning.

"What _was_ that?" He breathed; one hand still absently holding onto the edge of Kat's sweater, though he had already begun to tentatively pull away, just as his sister gathered the wherewithal to reply.

"No idea. But if anyone knows, it's probably going to be Graham—"

It looked like she would be leaving the house today, after all…

…

 **Hello there, my lovelies, and welcome to a slightly delayed, but hopefully enjoyable new chapter! I have to say, this one snuck up on me just a bit; particularly as I had originally intended to start in on another episode's timeline, rather than simply making this chapter chock-full of my own little tidbits. Regardless, though, I do plan on diving into the next episode in the following chapter; and I do hope that you all enjoy this one in the interim!**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to read, follow, favorite, and review this story so far (and a special shout-out to those who reviewed the most recent chapter: Christmas 95, SeraphineWhist, Demona Evernight, and ZabuzasGirl)! I truly do appreciate the support, and it does me good to read everyone's thoughts about each chapter as it comes out! I really would be absolutely nowhere without those thoughts; so like always, I encourage everyone to leave them once more on this chapter! I can't wait to hear what you think!**

 **Until next time, dearies!**

 **MJR**


	17. Shaken Foundation

(Storybrooke, present-day)

August W. Booth was not a man that often admitted to surprise, and yet, seated in the hotel room that Ruby had provided for him, he found it almost impossible to think of anything else. Of course he had anticipated a certain jolt of recognition, upon seeing Katarina again—he had even gone so far as to wonder what she might have looked like, as she grew older— _if_ she had grown older, at all. The finer aspects of the curse, such as it was, were still obscured from his complete understanding, particularly as he had possessed nothing in the way of contact with anyone from his past until this very moment. But even in spite of that, he had still been determined to persist in the course of action he had chosen for himself, without knowing for certain what, exactly, he would find, no matter how many times he had attempted to picture it in his own mind

That image that he had concocted, however, appeared to have fallen far short when compared to the reality that he had just witnessed.

The girl he had known what felt like ages ago _had_ grown, though it appeared that she had been the only one to age, where the rest of the people he had once known stayed almost exactly the same. It was a relief, he supposed, seeing as he had possessed not a clue what he would have done if she had not aged. And yet, even in spite of that relief, something still nagged at him. For although Katarina had grown, her memories of the past, as with every other inhabitant of Storybrooke, had fled as soon as the Queen's curse had begun.

He would have thought that the Dark One might have had the forethought to protect his own daughter from a fate such as that…

Regardless of what anyone might, or might not have done, however, the fact remained that Katarina remembered nothing about who she once was—about what she might be capable of. She had not even recognized _him_ , or shown any indication that she felt that familiar tug that he, himself, had experienced as soon as he had seen her. Naturally, there was a part of him that held on to the hope that she, like her father, might have opted for concealing her true reaction beneath a façade of indifference. But even as much as he might have desired that to be the truth, August suspected that the girl he had once known had as little idea of what she truly was as anyone else did in the town that was now their home in exile.

And something told him that getting Emma Swan to believe in where she came from would be far more difficult than it had been to resist pressing Katarina to remember who she was…

…

"A sinkhole. You're kidding me."

"That's what the sheriff said it was" The receptionist persisted; eyeing Katarina which what appeared to be mild aggravation, before redirecting her attention to the stacks of paperwork strewn across her desk "And he said he and the deputy didn't want any civilians running out to the scene until he was absolutely certain it was safe."

"The deputy? We don't have a deputy—"

"We do now. I trust you know Emma Swan."

"I do" Katarina confirmed; glancing down at where Henry stood beside her, and suppressing a smile as she realized how his eyes had widened in response to the news that his birth mother might very well be staying in town "When did she take the position?"

"That's something you're going to have to ask about yourself" The receptionist quipped; looking at the young woman who stood before her from over the rim of her glasses, and lifting a brow as though surprised that she had not already left "But don't do it until—"

"Until after she's dealt with the sinkhole."

"That would be correct."

"Right, well, thanks for the help" Kat stated; turning on a heel, and ushering Henry back towards the door with a hand placed gently between his shoulder blades. Given his curious expression as he craned his neck around to peer up at her more directly, it was apparent that he was teeming with questions about Emma, the deputy's position, and any number of other things that frankly, Katarina was curious about, as well. But even as much as she wanted answers, she also knew that they were not about to find them here…

Regardless of what the receptionist had declared, she knew that both she, and Henry, had to go to the site of the sinkhole if they stood any chance of finding out what on earth was going on.

As soon as they had cleared the doorway to the police station, and were once again standing beneath the tree at its front, Kat slipped her hand to Henry's shoulder, so that she could stop him from walking further ahead of her with a gentle squeeze; his eyes meeting her own with such a familiar ferocity that for a moment she was forced to laugh at how eerily similar their determination and curiosity over the current situation appeared to be. It appeared that both of them had taken a bit of a liking to Emma, though admittedly Henry had a more vested interest as it pertained to his future. And now that it looked as though she intended to stay, at least for a while, both Katarina, and Henry would have been fools to pretend that they were anything less than thrilled.

"Do you think she's staying for good?" Henry piped up; his enthusiasm practically radiating from him in waves as he bounced on his toes, and jammed both hands inside his jacket pockets to keep them warm.

"No idea, kiddo. But it definitely looks like she's not in a big rush to leave."

"That's good, right?" Henry pressed; reaching out to grasp Katarina's hand, and latching on tightly, as though his eagerness to have Emma stay in Storybrooke had also made him reluctant to forgo his connection with his sister as well "I mean, you don't—you know you're still my sister—"

"Of course I do, kiddo. You don't ever need to worry about me forgetting that" Kat encouraged; dropping her hand from Henry's shoulder, and proceeding down the sidewalk to head back towards the main street that would lead through town "You're stuck with me whether you want to be or not."

"That's a good thing."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah" Henry confirmed; bumping against his sister's side, and suddenly dodging away when he realized that the act had prompted her to reach out to ruffle his hair "So are we going to go see the sinkhole?"

" _You_ are going to go to school" Katarina instructed; aware of Henry's suddenly downtrodden expression, and resisting the urge to fall prey to his pout, though it was far harder than she might have cared to admit "I'll take care of the sinkhole business."

"But the receptionist said—"

"Why don't you let me worry about that, okay? Go to school, impress Mary Margaret with your science project, and I'll fill you in on everything I know when you get home."

"You promise you'll tell me everything?"

"I promise, kiddo. Cross my heart, and hope to die."

No matter how much trouble she knew she would be in if their mother ever learned of her plan, Katarina found that she was utterly unwilling to resist Henry's nearly blinding smile, especially since she had absolutely no doubt that whatever consequence she brought upon herself as a result of her actions would be entirely worth it.

As always, it was entirely outside of her capability to deny him anything…

…

 _(Enchanted Forest, twenty-eight years ago)_

 _"Hurry up! Before she comes back!" The small boy called; racing ahead of Katarina, and causing the four-year-old to huff in mild exasperation as she struggled to keep up. As was her habit, now, even in spite of the fact that her mother did not approve, the young girl had been dashing off into the woods almost as soon as the Queen disappeared into one of the village's small hovels, intent on some personal business—_

 _And although she was well aware of the sort of trouble she would be in, should Regina return and find her absent, Katarina had followed the boy anyway, regardless of the way in which her conscience seemed to scream at her to stay behind._

 _Determined to catch up to her would-be new friend, Katarina sped forward, tiny feet pounding in little thuds against the grass and decaying leaves as she followed the boy deeper into the forest almost without a thought. In truth, the rustling of the leaves and branches that soon rose to surround them was a welcoming thing, as though the forest sought to draw her into its depths, and never permit her to be free again. And although she had not a clue why the prospect of leaving everything she had ever known behind for good was so endearing, the young girl was absolutely powerless to resist running still faster, until she caught up with her new companion, and very nearly collided with his back as she all but failed to stop in time._

 _"Why did you stop?" She demanded; regaining her balance only barely, and folding both arms across her chest as a small frown marred her brow "You almost made me fall!"_

 _"Maybe you should be faster on your feet, then."_

 _"Hey!"_

 _"What? It's true" The boy pressed; ignoring the huff his companion gave him, and reached for her hand to lead her forward, only to find himself shocked when Katarina almost immediately wrenched herself away. Once again, he could see the wariness stealing into her features, where before there had only been a simple curiosity in what he wanted to show her, and maybe even joy at having eluded her mother, if only just for the moment. And before he could stop it, Katarina had turned from him to head back in the direction from which they had originally come, forcing him to be the one to rush after her so that he could make a grab for her hand once again._

 _"Wait! Don't go—"_

 _"I have to get back. My mama—"_

 _"But I still have something that I want to show you."_

 _"Stop being mean and I'll let you" Kat demanded; one foot stamping impatiently upon the ground, and creating a muted thud that very nearly had her companion laughing, but for the fact that he knew that to do such a thing would likely mean he would never see or hear from her again._

 _No matter what, he simply could not permit that to happen…_

 _"I'll stop. I promise" He assured; extending his hand once more, and finding that he was nothing short of relieved when Katarina took it without hesitation "Come on. You're going to love it!"_

 _Unable to do anything but follow along after him, Katarina permitted the boy to drag her along behind him, stumbling over stray twigs and bits of tree limbs as they went. In truth, she did not particularly mind the pull of his hand against her own, although she knew that she would be very put out with him if he caused her to fall, and ruin her dress._

 _Or rather, her mother would be put out, and she would absolutely know that Katarina had been doing something that would not meet with her approval…_

 _"Where are you taking me?"_

 _"It's only a bit further ahead" The boy promised; seemingly determined to refuse slowing down, and forcing Kat to hurry along beside him to keep up. Were she to be honest with herself, she was growing vastly impatient, particularly as she knew very well that if they did not get about their business quickly, she would, in fact, be late in meeting her mother back at the village square._

 _That was a fate far too terrible to consider, given that it had taken a fair amount of wheedling and cajoling to persuade Regina to permit her to be on her own for the brief interlude, at the start._

 _Just as she had been prepared to say as much, and pull her hand away from the boy's once again to begin the trek back to the village, however, Katarina found that their journey had appeared to come to a sudden stop, a soft gasp escaping as she took in what the boy had so eagerly wished to show her._

 _"What do you think?"_

 _"I—it's—it's beautiful" Kat enthused; moving forward to look at the beautifully wrought woodwork that sat in the small clearing before her, and gently pulling her hand away from the boy's once again, though she noted that he never remained far behind as she moved around the object to inspect its quality "Who made this?"_

 _"My Papa."_

 _"He—he did? Who did he make it for?"_

 _"The King and Queen."_

 _"But my Mama doesn't have a King" Kat argued; her brow furrowing in consternation as she eyed the boy with some suspicion and forced her attention away from him and back towards the carving that stood within an arm's reach. Tentatively, her hand reached out to touch it, her fingers itching to feel the intricate detail that had been etched into the wood, particularly that that was wound around the outer edges of what appeared to be a door—_

 _"Your Mama is not the Queen my Papa made this for."_

 _"But there is no other Queen."_

 _"Yes there is—the rightful Queen. Snow White."_

 _Stunned into silence by the words, Katarina was unaware of the sudden jolt of blue light that emanated from her palm in response to her shock; the proximity of her hand to the woodwork allowing that spark to darken a spot along its side in a jagged mark that was almost akin to a scar. For a moment, she turned to stare at it, the crack that the wood had made splintering through the air and forcing her to do nothing but look at what she had done in silence._

 _Yet again, she had taken something beautiful and destroyed it…_

 _Without another word to the boy that had brought her here to begin with, Katarina soon found that she was bolting back in the direction from which they had originally travelled, the burn of the tears in her eyes obstructing her view and causing her to stumble far more frequently than she had on the way there. Dimly, she could hear the boy calling out behind her, begging her to come back—promising that what she had done only made the woodcarving more beautiful than it had been before._

 _Even if he had promised her that the mark could be fixed, so that no trace of it remained, she would have kept right on running._

 _No matter how he might have tried to hide it, Katarina could not have born the idea of the boy looking at her with the same mix of pity and fear that so many others did whenever they saw her coming._

…

(Storybrooke, present-day)

The scene that Katarina stumbled upon when she arrived at the site of the sink-hole was chaotic, to say the least, with cars parked haphazardly on the street nearby, and people milling about like millions of tiny ants on a hill. Almost immediately, Kat could perceive that the damage was extensive, particularly as it appeared that a little over half of the road and neighboring sidewalk had crumbled in upon itself, leaving a precarious ledge overlooking the entire ordeal in its wake. And although she knew it was dangerous, she could not help but inch forward towards that edge, even though every last instinct she possessed urged her against it, at least until the sudden call of her name from somewhere across the street effectively stopped her in her tracks.

"Katarina, what exactly do you think you're doing?"

 _Mom_ …

"Um—I was—"

"You were walking right up to the edge of a sinkhole?" Regina pressed; her heels clacking against the pavement as she hurried to reach her daughter's side before she might find herself inclined to do anything reckless "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

"Yeah, Mom, I do."

"Then would you care to explain to me why you're out here, and not at home where you belong?"

"I wanted a breath of fresh air?"

"Likely story."

"Listen, Mom, I—I know it's stupid, but I wanted to see if I could help" Katarina began; aware of how her mother had tensed just a bit at the admission, and hurrying to press forward before she could be stopped "It looks like other people had the same idea, unless that's _not_ Marco I see over there, with Archie—"

"It is. What's your point?"

"Well, it would look pretty bad if everyone else was pitching in, and the Mayor's own daughter was sitting at home watching television, now wouldn't it?"

"They wouldn't know you were at home watching television, Katarina" The Mayor groaned; exasperation coloring her tone, particularly in the face of the slight hint of a smile that had begun to toy with the corner of her daughter's mouth as she caught the first scent of her victory.

"Maybe not, but my absence might be a _bit_ conspicuous, don't you think?"

"Katarina—"

"What? You're the one who's always reminding me I'm the Mayor's daughter—"

"Fine" Regina acquiesced; her arms dropping to her sides in open resignation, while her eyes perused Kat's frame as though eager to search out any indication that the young woman would not heed her next words.

"But you stay as far away from the edge as you can. And don't think for one second that I won't drag you back home if I think you're putting yourself at unnecessary risk—"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Mom. Not in a million years…"

 _If only a million years wouldn't end up coming in approximately two hours, forcing her to break her promise far sooner than she might ever have dreamed…_

…

 **Hello there, dearies! And welcome to a very delayed new chapter! I honestly can't come up with a suitable excuse for the horrid time lapse between the last chapter and this one—but I do hope that I haven't already lost everyone's interest as a result. I know that this one is shorter, and a bit of a filler, but I hope that it can serve as a sort of gauge to get everyone back into the tale, as well as to see if anyone is still interested in reading more. I know I have no right to beg for feedback, especially with how long I left everyone waiting. But I really do hope that at least some of you find this to be still worth the read, and I cannot wait to read your thoughts if you are willing!**

 **My heartfelt gratitude and appreciation go out to everyone who is still sticking with me! I promise I will try my best not to get so caught up in my other stories that I abandon this one again, and I truly do hope that you all have enjoyed what you found.**

 **Until next time?**

 **MJR**


	18. Shards of the Past

(Storybrooke, present-day)

It was difficult to say how long Katarina had been picking over the ruins at the sight of the sinkhole, doing her best, just like the others that had gathered there, to remove anything that might prove too dangerous to be allowed to linger, before she found the opportunity to speak with Emma without risking her mother catching her in the act. In truth, the wait was very nearly impossible to tolerate, particularly since both Archie, and Regina seemed determined to come up to her for snippets of conversation so often that Katarina was half tempted to believe they were doing it on purpose. But finally, she found herself in a section of the sinkhole that appeared relatively unoccupied, save for the presence of a familiar blond that had her back turned while bending over something invisible to Katarina's eyes on the ground before her.

"Emma—hey," Kat called, casting one final glance at her surroundings to ensure that her mother was nowhere nearby, before hurrying over to the blond, and stooping down as though to investigate the same ground Emma had been perusing just moments ago, "Any idea what caused all this?"

"Not a clue," The blond replied, straightening, and extending a hand towards Katarina so that she might hand her the object she had just picked up. "You wouldn't be able to tell me what _this_ is, would you?"

Taking the proffered item, Katarina's brow almost immediately furrowed, her eyes roving over the piece she held in her hand as gently as though it would shatter at the lightest touch. In fact, given a closer look at it, she came to the conclusion that if dropped, the object very likely would shatter, its likeness to a shard of glass more prominent than ever as she moved to use her free hand to turn it over in her grasp, only to succeed in earning herself a cut at the tip of her finger as a result. The small bead of blood pooled for only a moment upon her fingertip, before dropping onto the object she held in her hand—

"Hey—you okay?"

With a small shake of her head, as though trying to clear her mind of a persistent fog, Katarina tore her attention away from the object in her hand and glanced toward Emma instead, the concern that was apparent in the blond's eyes prompting her to move rather hastily to reassure her.

"I—yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive," Kat confirmed, doing as best she could to rearrange her features into a convincing show of calm demeanor, though she was well aware that Emma did not appear to be buying it for a second. "It's just a scratch."

"Want me to get a tourniquet or something?"

"Ha-ha."

"It was just a suggestion," Emma assured, laughing a bit at Katarina's answering roll of the eyes, before glancing at the object she had so recently handed her friend once more. It was obvious that the girl was still at least partially distracted, though whether it was simply because of her unintentional wound, or something deeper, she could not tell.

Of course even with as little time as she had known the Mayor's daughter, Emma was very well aware that asking her what was really bothering her directly would be about as effective as convincing Regina herself that Henry belonged with his birth mother…

"Have you found any other pieces like this, then?" Kat inquired, seeming to have torn herself away from the troubling sensation of being just at the edge of a hazy memory, albeit with some difficulty, in just enough time to manage a frown as Emma shook her head in reply. "I wonder where it came from."

"It looks like it's a part of some sort of glass fixture or something. Maybe a window?"

"Maybe."

"You don't sound very convinced," Emma chided, her own brow furrowing as she glanced once again at Katarina, and realized that she was looking at the piece of shattered glass in her hands yet again.

"That's because I'm not, at least not entirely."

"Why is that?"

"Because you found it in a mess created by a sinkhole over an abandoned mine," Kat explained, exhaling a bit, and looking at their surroundings once again before elaborating any further. "Since when does a mine have a window?"

"They don't. That would be—crazy."

"But it did come from somewhere," Kat stated, handing the glass back to Emma, and dropping her hands to her sides with yet another sigh. "We should see if we can find any more that are like it."

"Any more that are like what?"

Turning at the sound of the familiar voice, Katarina found that any and all words that she might have offered by way of explanation died before they could be uttered, her eyes widening a bit as she realized the exact nature of the anger in Regina's expression. The Mayor was glancing between both her daughter, and the blond that stood almost defiantly beside her, her eyes narrowed in obvious suspicion. But that, it seemed, was as nothing compared to the hard quality of her voice as she spoke, the deceptive quietness of her words causing Katarina to flinch, though she did her best to avoid letting it show.

"Answer the question, Katarina," Regina ordered, her arms folding across her chest in the tell-tale way that signified there would be trouble if either her daughter, or Emma, refused to comply with her request. "Now."

"Like—like this," Kat stammered, stooping to the ground, and sweeping her hand over the rubble until she stumbled upon a jagged rock that she hoped would look enough like the object that Emma was now surreptitiously stowing in her jacket pocket to ward off any of her mother's superstitions. "It just—it seems to have an interesting shape, seeing as it probably came from the wall of the mine—"

"I see. And Miss Swan just thought she would help you in your desire to collect useless rocks?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"If you must know, I wanted to ask her about Henry," Emma confessed, shooting Katarina a rather significant look as she caught on to how the young woman had been momentarily unable to hide her surprise, and then glancing back towards Regina in hopes of expounding on the lie just a bit further. "See how he's doing in school, and all—"

"He's doing just fine without any interference from you."

"Mom, come on, she was just asking," Kat protested, aware of the way in which Regina's eyes had begun to glint dangerously at her, and yet refusing to back down in spite of how logic dictated that might just be the wisest course of action. "She cares for him."

"No more than you or I, I'm sure. Why don't you go pick him up from school and head back home so that he can do a bit of homework before his session with Archie? We can discuss this matter further over dinner."

"Mom—"

"Do as I say, Katarina," Regina interrupted, her tone brooking no argument as she fixed her daughter with a steely gaze, and extended a hand with car-keys secured tightly in her grasp. "We'll talk more about this later."

Unable to do anything other than nod, and take the keys from her mother's outstretched hands, Kat risked one final look at Emma, the faint, but resigned smile that the blond gave her causing her to turn back almost as quickly so as to hide her own while she maneuvered around piles of unevenly scattered rubble towards the parked car just at the perimeter of the scene. She knew that she was in for it later. Knew that as soon as Henry had ventured upstairs to start on his homework, she would be alone, at the mercy of her mother, who appeared more than just a little put out with her at the moment. But even in the face of that knowledge, Katarina could not entirely persuade herself to stop thinking of the shard of glass that Emma had shown her, her determination to get to the bottom of the eerie familiarity of the object pushing her as nothing else could.

Whether Regina wanted her to or not, Kat was not about to give up on finding out what on earth the thing was…

…

"So how was school?"

"Like it always is," Henry replied, peering over at Kat from where he sat in the passenger seat of their mother's car, and furrowing his brow a bit as he caught her in the act of drumming her fingers idly against the steering wheel while they were at a stop light that had just turned red, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Henry."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you're too much like Mom and I for your own good?" Katarina supplied, one corner of her mouth turning up in a smile as she forced her hands to remain still on the steering wheel, and exhaled just a bit before attempting to explain. "I'm just thinking about the sinkhole, that's all."

"Was anyone hurt?" Henry asked, the concern that was so apparent in his inquiry causing his sister to reach a hand over to squeeze his own for just a brief moment before she returned it to the steering wheel, and made to reply.

"No, kiddo, of course not. Everyone's fine."

"Then why do you look so upset?"

"I don't—I'm not—" Kat began, falling silent all too quickly as she came to the determination that Henry was about as likely to believe her as Regina had been just one hour before, "I'm not upset, Henry. Not really. Just—I'm just a little confused."

"About what?"

"About something that Emma and I found at the sinkhole."

"What did you find?"

"Henry—"

"Come on, Kat, you've got to give me _something_!" Henry exclaimed, craning around in the passenger seat until he could face his sister more directly, and fixing her with the best pleading expression that he could muster. "Please?"

Remaining silent for just a moment in consideration, Katarina found that she could find no reason why she could not share at least a part of what she had discovered with Henry, the trust that the two of them had always held for each other counting as more persuasion than any of the niggling feelings of doubt that might have otherwise urged caution against disclosing something that she could only partially understand.

She knew that he would be able to listen to her without fearing that she had lost her mind.

"You're too stubborn sometimes, you know that?" She teased, tempering her words with a smile, and reaching over to ruffle Henry's hair before going on. "Emma found something in the rubble at the sinkhole, and I—well, we couldn't exactly place what it was."

"What did it look like?"

"It was rather odd. Like a piece of a jigsaw that had been ripped out and left away from the other pieces."

"And?"

"And—it was made of glass."

"Glass?" Henry repeated, glancing down to pick at a stray thread on his jeans, and frowning a bit as though trying as hard as he could to deduce the significance behind his sister's discovery on his own, "What do you think it was from?"

"That's what's bothering me," Kat admitted, frowning once again as she navigated a turn down the street that would lead them both back home. "I have absolutely no idea, but I feel like I—"

"Like you should?"

"Exactly. But no matter how I try, I can't seem to place why it seems so damned _familiar_."

"Do you remember it from my book?" Henry asked, the sudden eagerness he must have been feeling at the idea causing him to break out in a grin while simultaneously squirming back around until he could reach down to the floor of the car and unzip his backpack with ease. "Maybe if you looked at it again when we get home—"

"Cool your jets, kiddo, I'm going to have to get a lecture or two from Mom tonight."

"So read it after the lecture?"

With a sigh that was an equal mixture of amusement and resignation, Katarina pulled their mother's vehicle into the driveway, maneuvering until there was a mere inch or two between the bumper, and the garage door, and finally coming to a stop before speaking once again.

"Leave it on my bed, then, and I'll take a look as soon as I can."

Aware of Henry's answering smile, Katarina could not help but manage one of her own as she took the keys from the car's ignition, and hand them towards him so that he could head indoors and get started on his homework before Regina had the chance to catch him dawdling and add another item to the itinerary of her impending lecture. For a moment, she remained where she was, her attention straying back to the curious piece of glass that Emma now held, likely far more securely than Katarina ever could have herself.

Of course, it was only then that she realized that, in her distraction, she had never managed to ask her friend exactly how on earth she had decided to become a Sheriff's deputy…

…

Katarina had endured the predictable diatribe against fraternizing too closely with Emma Swan not long after Regina had returned home, though for a reason that was as yet unknown to her, it had been cut short rather easily by an unexpected phone call that came just before dinner. Not long after, Regina had left in about as much of a hurry as the manner in which she had arrived, thus allowing Katarina to retreat to her own bedroom, and the book that Henry had left upon the bed as per her request.

As a precaution, she closed the door behind her, until only a small sliver of light from the hallway was visible in the room, her feet only making the most miniscule of sounds as she crossed to her bed and took a seat perched on the edge. For a moment, her hand simply lingered upon the binding and cover, her fingertips tracing the gold lettering as though determined to memorize every detail. But of course her innate curiosity won out, in the end, as it so often did, forcing her to open the book to the very first page so that she could scan its contents in hopes of a glimpse of whatever that piece of glass might have come from.

"I must be going out of my mind," She murmured, shaking her head a bit in belated resignation as she began to rifle through the pages one by one, scanning each of them in their turn for any sign of a similarity to the glass object that she and Emma had discovered. Already, she had passed the story of Cinderella—Mulan—Rumplestiltskin—and still absolutely nothing seemed to indicate that what she had seen was even real.

And then she turned to the page containing the beginning of the story of Snow White…

Skimming through the pages until she reached the picture of Prince Charming arriving at Snow White's casket, Katarina found herself almost instantaneously recoiling from the book in surprise and abject horror, the tome skidding just a bit across the sheets of her bed as she pushed it away. Since the very moment her eyes had lighted upon the page depicting the casket, it was as though an electric pulse had reverberated through the book itself, into her arms, until it very nearly reached her chest. Instinct had prompted her to push it away, as though terrified that, if she remained resolute in clutching it upon her lap, it would force her to suffer some sort of adverse event. But even that was not entirely enough to have her abandoning the book entirely, her heart hammering away against her rib cage as she leaned forward, albeit with some hesitation, to peer at the page of the book once more while simultaneously doing her best to avoid touching it in the act.

Snow White's casket was on a pedestal, of course, surrounded at its base by a variety of wildflowers, basking in the sun as though they had reason for celebration and relief. On its opposite side, the dwarves had gathered, heads bowed and hats removed in demonstration of their grief. Charming himself knelt at the head of the apparatus, one hand resting upon the glass as though determined that with a simple touch he could make it all melt away, thus returning his love to him as though she had never slept.

The glass—Katarina was all but certain that, were it her own person touching it, and not Prince Charming, she would know without a doubt that it was of the same texture and make as the small shard she had clutched at the site of the sinkhole.

"That's—it's impossible," She whispered, scooting away from the book, and rising to her feet, only to find that she almost immediately took to the act of pacing the floor. "I'm being silly."

Try though she might to ignore it, however, a small, niggling voice somewhere at the back of her mind told her that she was not…

Continuing to make loop after loop around the perimeter of her room, Katarina folded her arms across her chest as though she truly believed that doing so would provide her with any means of defense, her eyes darting idly around the room, though she did not really see any of the things that her gaze had landed upon. If the shard of glass really _was_ from Snow White's casket, then perhaps Henry had been telling the truth all along.

But did it not have every bit as much of a chance of being from some other object that was only eerily similar to said casket, without having to come from that object itself?

Confused—exhausted—frustrated beyond all means, Katarina emitted a low groan as she strolled back towards her bed, her fingertips straying, albeit cautiously, towards the book Henry had given her once again. In truth, she half expected the self-same pulsing sensation to reverberate through her body as it had before, though whether she truly wished for such an experience to prove she was not slowly losing her mind, or not, she could not exactly say. Regardless of what she might have wished for, however, Kat found herself at least mildly disappointed when the book remained resolutely immobile, her brow furrowing as she withdrew her hand, and perched once more upon the edge of the bed.

Almost in conjunction with the act, a shrill ringing sounded from the telephone resting upon the table located at the foot of the spiral staircase, the sudden nature of such an intrusion of her thoughts causing her to jump before persuading herself to rise from her bed, and hurry downstairs to answer before the call could go to voicemail. Were she to be honest with herself, Kat knew that who she truly wished would be on the other line was Emma Swan, if for no other reason than to further discuss what had transpired since they parted ways.

With that desire in mind, Katarina supposed that it should come as no surprise that her mood fell almost as soon as she picked up the phone, and her mother's voice reached her ears from the other end of the line.

"Katarina, I need you to come back to the sinkhole as soon as you can. Something's happened, and I really need your help."

No matter her desire to remain where she was, trying to deduce the reasoning behind everything that had just transpired with Henry's book, Kat was not foolish enough to ignore the sudden sense of urgency that was so apparent in her mother's voice…

Something was wrong, and that realization alone was enough to have her stomach twisting with anxiety while her heart once again took up its relentless beating against her ribs.

…

 **Hello there, my dearies! And welcome to a VERY inexcusably delayed new chapter! I really don't know what got into me between the last chapter and this one, save for a few new (and very persistent) muses, and a lack of input from my muse for this story in and of itself. But excuses aside, I really do hope that in the time between chapters, I haven't lost any of you for good. I sincerely promise I am nowhere near finished with this story!**

 **This chapter (like so many others before it) got away from me just a little, since I had initially intended to wrap up the whole sinkhole/Still Small Voice segment in one go. Unfortunately, though, the desire to add another twist or two, namely as it pertains to Kat seeing the fragment of glass, and the connection to the book/casket, got in the way…so I hope that even if it was slightly lacking in action, this chapter still meets with your approval!**

 **As always, my heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of you that has taken the time to read, follow, favorite, and review this story thus far (special thanks to my reviewers: Christmas 95, baratta . Jennifer, Jessenia22, HeavenlyLily, Lucy Willow, SeraphineWhist, Nicole Beverley234, and scorpiongirl92)! I truly hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as you have those that precede it, and please, if you're still out there reading, let me know your thoughts! Hopefully my terrible posting habits haven't pushed you all away!**

 **Until next time, darlings…**

 **MOMM**


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